Revelations and Quantum Apocalypses
by Skye1963
Summary: All his life, Sam Winchester was viewed with suspicion and trepidation. His father then his brother both believed he would become evil due to the lies told by demons and angels. Now the mystery as to why these lies were told would be revealed and the brothers will be changed forever. Will the bond between brothers be broken or healed. AU for season eight. deathfic of a sort
1. Chapter 1

_This is a collaborative piece with 3DBABE1999. A wonderful writer and terrific researcher without whom I could never have come up with this story. Please give her a big round of applause! Also, a big thank you to my betas-both 3DBABE1999 and Daiyu Amaya!_

Revelations and Quantum Apocalypses

Prologue

_When men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took to wife such of them as they chose. Then the Lord said, "My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for he is flesh, but his days shall be a hundred and twenty years." The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown. _(Genesis 6: 1-4)

When God first made man, he made the being in his image, the perfect creation. But man, after seeing the simpler creations with two sexes, cried out to God that he was lonely. God, not liking to see his child upset, sadly put man to sleep then separated him into two beings, man and woman. The Angels were very angry since man seemed to spit in their faces when he demanded to be made in the way of the simpler creatures, "Couldn't he see that he was perfect?" was the cry that went up in Heaven. There were some Angels who were jealous and hoped that this would be a reason for their Father to destroy man but God didn't. Instead, He walked with the man and woman, gracing them with His presence.

Even after the fiasco of the Tree, after the first murder was committed, God still seemed to favor man. Then the Angels asked God to wipe man from the Earth so that they may live there but God told them that if they did, the Angels would become like man. Some Angels asked if they could prove they were better than man by going to Earth and observing him. God allowed it and those Angels who were allowed to go to Earth were called the Grigori, or Watchers.

It was the prefects of the Grigori who fell in love with man's daughters first. They were happy and raised their children to be like the Angels, perfect in their love of God. For a long while, the Nephilim stayed away from the humans, preferring to keep to their own kind. It wasn't until other Angels came down and mated with women that problems started to arise. Those Angels didn't raise their children, preferring to stay in Heaven. These children were also called Nephilim. Some of these Nephilim started to believe they were better than most humans and definitely better than the children of the Grigori.

Azazel didn't like the fact that his brothers' children hated the Grigori children so he tried to show visibly the evil of them by giving them the idea of painting and decorating themselves. Some decided they were so beautiful, they declared themselves gods to be worshipped. Some of the Grigori decided to give man the secrets of metal, again to prove to God that these Nephilim, not their children, were corrupt as weapons started to be made.

Samyaza viewed what was going on with trepidation. He wanted to protect his family so he taught his wife the true name of God, saying if she and their children were being threatened, she should call to God using his true name. When he was gone on God's business, some of the other Nephilim found his family. Samyaza's wife hid their youngest daughter and was trying to hide their other children when they were attacked. Seeing her children being threatened, she used the true name of God and was transported immediately to Heaven, away from them. When she got to Heaven, she looked around for her children but didn't find them. What she wasn't aware of was that when she tried to protect them by hiding them before saying the name of God, she had accidentally left them to be slaughtered by the attackers.

The Angels, when finding a human in Heaven, were very angry. They demanded that God cast her down and that He punish Samyaza for his brazenness. God saw the weeping woman and took pity on her. He made a protected place for her in Heaven, forbidding the Angels from hurting her. Then God sent Gabriel to find Samyaza and tell him of the news before bringing the Grigori Prefect before God. Upon hearing what happened and that he was to be brought in front of their Father, Samyaza begged Gabriel to protect his only living child, a six-month old baby. Gabriel agreed saying he would find a family to foster her.

Samyaza was then brought before his Father who looked into his heart. Seeing the love and grief that was there, God took pity on his child. Instead of killing Samyaza, God decided to remake him and, to keep him safe, spread the word that Samyaza would be imprisoned in the deepest part of Hell. Looking at his kneeling son, God put his hand on Samyaza's head. He hid the memories of his child then remade him into a fledgling…the last Angel ever born…Castiel. As He held his newest Angel, God whispered that one day, Samyaza would rise again. He would once again be favored among the Angels.

Samyaza's last living child was fostered by a good family that Gabriel found. When she was of age, her foster parents arranged for her to marry Japheth, a son of her foster father's cousin Noah, thus saving her from the Great Deluge God had released in His anger, when all other Nephilim and most humans were destroyed.

She was the beginning of the line who would eventually produce Sam and Dean Winchester.


	2. Chapter 2

_Depart from me, all you workers of evil; for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplications; the Lord accepts my prayer. All my enemies shall be ashamed and sorely troubled; they shall turn back, and be put to shame in a moment. (Psalms 6, 8-10)_

Chapter One

Sam sat stunned at the table, Dean's and John's journals in front of him, opened. He didn't mean to find them but he had tripped over one of Dean's boots and his hand hit a loose board in the wall. "_Great, just another thing for Dean to get after me about,"_ Sam thought as he bent over to fix the wall. It was then he saw the journals. At first, he thought it was a couple of Rufus' journals and he sat down to read them thinking how much he could learn from the old Hunter. Then as he started to read, he found out whose journals they really were.

As he read, he found out his whole life was a lie. After wanting the truth, he now wished he could still be wrapped in the cocoon of ignorance. But as much as the lies hurt, what really hurt was the judgments that his brother passed on him. After all, he only lied about a few things, John and Dean lied to him for years…for years.

After he finished the journals, he didn't put them back but laid them side by side on the table and waited for his brother to come back. As he waited, his anger and depression grew…and grew…and grew.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Five Weeks Earlier-

Crowley was worried. He had seen the look of utter misery and loss in the younger Winchester's eyes. He had a feeling that if Sam was left on his own, the kid wouldn't survive for very long. It really wasn't his job, but since he liked the kid a lot, he made a call to a long-time friend. He stood outside of SucroCorp and, bowing his head, he said, "I need help. Sam Winchester needs your help. Please send someone to him to keep him safe." He waited until he felt that his request was answered then he left, smiling.

Sam had fallen to his knees in shock. He had lost his brother once again but not to Heaven or Hell this time, but to Purgatory. Tears started to gather in his eyes and he hugged himself. He could hear the guards running down the hall but he couldn't make himself move. As the shock deepened, he became paralyzed, deaf, and mute. He didn't hear the sound of wings; he didn't feel the hands lifting him or the soft voice telling him that he would be all right. He didn't feel the transport to the Impala or even being transported to a bed where he lay for days.

He was so out of it, he didn't know that someone was taking care of him, making sure he ate and was clean. _Gabriel was worried about his charge. Sam wasn't really responding to him, even if it was to call him a bastard. Sure, he could get the kid to eat and drink, even take a shower but it was more that Sam was on autopilot or that a piece of him was missing. Crowley was right to worry, Gabriel thought._

After a while, Sam started to see his surroundings. He knew that he was in a beautiful room that had a king-sized bed, dresser, closet, and attached bathroom. The walls were painted a soft grey with a dusty rose boarder. Heavy wine-colored drapes covered the windows while the furniture and moldings were cherry rose. The carpeting was plush and light grey in color. The lighting was soft as to not hurt his eyes.

When he became interested in moving he started to explore the room. In the closet, Sam found his clothes and laptop. He also found the bathroom was fully stocked with toiletries and towels. A radio and television was placed on the dresser for his entertainment. After a while, Sam looked outside and found that the Impala had been parked by the house. He was still in a daze when he realized he was outside, by the car with the trunk open. Before he knew it, he was searching for something, not really knowing what he was looking for until his hand closed on a leather strip. Drawing it out, he saw that it was a necklace with an Amulet dangling from it. Looking at it, Sam felt a warmth pulsing through him and it felt like he was waking up. Acting on his impulse, Sam put the Amulet on.

Gabriel smiled from the doorway. He could see Sam was still a long way from being healed but he was definitely on his way. Quietly, so not to spook the young man, Gabriel walked over to him. "Hey, Sammy," he began, "What are you doing?"

Sam didn't flinch, like Gabriel thought he would. He just looked at the Archangel and, holding the Amulet up, responded, "I found this. It makes me feel good."

Gabriel looked at Sam. He wasn't acting like the bold young hunter or even the human he had known. Sam was acting as if he was missing something. Looking hard at him, Gabriel noticed something he had never seen before. Sam had what psychics called a double aura. Part of it seemed to be in pain, like it had been tortured. Part seemed to that of a child. Slowly, Gabriel put his hand over Sam's heart. After a couple of minutes, he lowered his hand and grinned. He should have expected something like that given Sam's ancestry and who he was. Gabriel also knew that he would have to wait until Sam healed enough before he could explain everything. And, boy, was there a lot to explain.

Over the next few days, Sam began to be himself again. He also started to ask questions…a lot of them, just like a small child. His favorite questions always started with the word "why". Gabriel was very patient with him. He answered all questions, even the ones that drove most parents nuts. It wasn't until Sam started to ask the hard ones that Gabriel wished he didn't have to answer.

"Gabriel?" Sam began.

"Yeah, Sammy," Gabriel knew he was in for a marathon of questions.

"Why do you want to be around me?" Sam asked.

"What do you mean?" Gabriel countered.

"Um…you know I'm an abomination to Heaven, right?" Sam said with his eyes on the floor.

Gabriel knew this conversation had been coming. He just wished Sam would have waited for a bit to ask his question. "Kiddo, you are not an abomination. Abominations don't go to Heaven and you did."

Sam seemed to get sadder, "Yeah, some Heaven. When Dean saw it, he was so angry that when Cas gave him back his Amulet, he threw it away. He agreed with Cas that it was worthless."

Gabriel went to Sam and sat next to him on the couch. He put his arms around the distressed man and rocked him for a while. Then, really wishing he had a better way of saying this since he didn't want Sam to be angry with Dean, he took a deep breath and said, "Sam, that wasn't your real Heaven. That was something Zachariah concocted to drive a wedge between you and your brother. You were in your real Heaven after Jake killed you."

Sam looked up, puzzled, "Wait, what?"

Gabriel nodded and went on, "Yeah. I was never so happy to hear that one of my brothers had been killed than I was when I heard about Zachariah."

"It doesn't matter," Sam said sadly, "Dean probably wouldn't have liked my real Heaven either. I wish I knew what it had been like."

"Usually, I'm not supposed to do this but would you like to see some of it?" Gabriel offered.

Uncertainty filled Sam's eyes but, true to form, he decided to face his fear and he nodded. Gabriel put two fingers on Sam's forehead and beautiful images filled his mind.

_The pretty blond woman was smiling at him as she held him to her breast. Sammy felt warm, safe and loved. She talked to him, saying how much she loved him and that he was a blessing to her and the rest of the family._

_Mommy came in to his room. He was cold, wet and hungry. She picked him up after changing him. After she fed him, she sat for a long time, rocking and singing to him._

_Sammy was scared. No mommy anymore. As he cried out his grief, daddy came and picked him up. Walking up and down the hallway, daddy's voice sounded in his ears. Sammy finally fell asleep on his daddy only to wake up on daddy's chest._

_The tickle monster was after Sammy. Laughing, he ducked behind his daddy yelling, "Help, daddy!" Daddy laughed and dove after the tickle monster, inviting Sammy to help tickle De. _

_De was funny. He kept making noises and tickles on his tummy as Sammy giggled. Then De made faces at him and Sammy reached for his face._

_De came home from school and ran for his brother. Sammy was grabbed and given a big hug, "I missed you today, baby brother. Look, I saved a cookie from Davy's birthday treat. I wanted you to have it!" Sammy smiled, then he broke it so De could have some with him. _

_Sam came home with a letter from his teacher. It was an award saying that Sam was at the top of his class. De read it and smiled, "You are really smart, Sammy. I'm so proud of you!" De wasn't supposed to leave the room but he did just to get an ice cream sundae in celebration. _

_Sam gave Dean a very special Christmas gift. Uncle Bobby said he should give it to his dad but Dean was the one who was always there for him and who told him the truth when he asked about dad's journal and what they really did. It was a symbol of Sam's love for his brother and Dean said he would never take it off. Sam's heart swelled so large, he thought it would pop out of his chest._

_Dean would have gotten in trouble with their dad if he knew that his oldest had bought all those fireworks. It was the best Fourth of July. Even when the field was started on fire._

_Sam bumped into a very pretty girl in the library. Then, every day for a week, he kept bumping into her. Finally, he asked her out and Jessica said yes._

_Jessica took Sam out to celebrate his birthday, something that rarely occurred in his family. She gave him the best present ever: a very sweet kiss and a watch._

_Jessica was proud of Sam. He got a 174 on his LSATs, one of the highest scores that a person could get. She helped him celebrate privately before they go to a party. He decided to ask her to marry him._

Tears fell out of Sam's eyes as he opened them. Gabriel watched his charge carefully. Letting him know what Dean had pulled his brother from was a risky thing to do but Sam needed to know what his real Heaven was like. "That's just a very small part of your real Heaven, Sammy. Most of your Heaven has Dean in it."

"Then why did he do it?" Sam asked with a slight sob, "Why did he pull me out of Heaven? He should have left me there."

"He was manipulated into believing you were in Hell, kiddo. Zachariah had an Angel whispering in his ear that you were being tortured and he couldn't handle it," Gabriel answered.

"Was it Cas?" Sam whispered. He didn't know if his heart could take it if Castiel was the one who whispered lies in his brother's ear.

"No, it wasn't. Even then, Zachariah didn't really trust Cassie," was the response.

Sam nodded his understanding then thought about it for a while. Gabriel wondered what Sam was going to feel about his brother. He knew he could listen to Sam's thoughts but decided to give him his privacy. After a while, Sam looked up and said, "Dean would never hurt me intentionally and he really believed he was helping. I can't be mad at him for doing something he has done all my life, protecting me from being hurt." With that, he got up and went to his room. He was very tired from all the revelations.

Gabriel watched him walk away. He was tired himself. He knew that Sam believed that he was an abomination. Hells, all the Angels, demons and even his own father had pounded it into his heart. Dean didn't do such a bad job himself when he came back from Hell filled with righteousness and a head full of Zachariah's crap. Then there was the greeting Castiel gave him when he literally called Sam an abomination. There was going to be more work done and Gabriel just prayed that he was the right Angel to do it. He needed to talk to someone so he picked up the phone and dialed a number.

When it was answered, Gabriel said, "Hey Crowley, can we talk? I just told Sam where he really was after he got killed in Cold Oaks…"

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Dean was very nervous and pissed. Cas just took off on him before he heard the growl that came out of the dark. When a heavy hand fell on his shoulder, he breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the Angel came back.

"Cas, what the he…" he stuttered as he was turned around to see what had him.

Dean looked up and up. The being was taller than him, taller even than Sam. It had long blond hair and yellow eyes. Oh, God, it had yellow eyes. Just like the demon who had killed his mother and Jess, Sam's girlfriend. It got closer to Dean and sniffed him. Then it smiled. Dean's stomach dropped as he saw the sharp teeth in the mouth so close to him. Before he knew it, the being threw him into a tree and held him there telekinetically.

"Ahhh," it said, "I never thought to catch that scent again. Strong, it is so strong in you. You must be a direct relative, nothing else could smell that good. Reminds me of home and Father." Then it came closer to Dean again and put it's hand on Dean's head. White hot pain lanced through his head and Dean closed his eyes in pain. Even though it was only for a few seconds, to Dean it felt like his head was on fire for eternity. "Not Father, but Uncle. That makes you kin, boy, or it would if you were like me." The being turned and walked a few paces away before turning back. "But your brother, now, he's interesting. Just like me so that makes him kin." Dean was puzzled at the words and the being caught his confusion.

"My Father always told me to be polite to our kin. You are biologically related but nothing else. So it's really my choice to be polite…I guess I will since I'm interested in that brother of yours. So, let me introduce myself," the being chuckled at his private joke. "My name is Asmodeus, Nephilim Prince. I am the son of Azazel, Prefect of the Grigori and Angel."

"Prince, huh? If you're a Prince, why are you here in Purgatory?" Dean asked sarcastically. "In fact, don't Princes need a kingdom? If this is yours, I have to say I'm not impressed."

Asmodeus growled and raised his hand. As he clenched it, Dean felt a burning pain in his chest and he couldn't breathe. Then Asmodeus unclenched his hand and Dean took big, gulping breaths. "You will be polite or I will kill you," the Nephilim said. "I'm still going to kill you but it is up to you if it will be sooner or later." Dean kept silent. He was praying that Cas would help him with this thing that had him.

Then Dean thought about what Asmodeus said about Sam and he had to ask, "Why are you interested in my brother?"

"Ahhh, your brother. When I looked into your mind, I could see the power your brother has. The power of the Nephilim runs through him. He is like me," Asmodeus answered with a grin. He knew that he was hurting Dean with his answers.

"Sammy doesn't have powers. They died when he killed Lilith," Dean said in confusion.

"Your brother's powers are just dormant. All it would take is a push for them to wake up," Asmodeus said. "When they do, he will become powerful, so powerful he could take over Hell if he wanted to."

Dean didn't like even thinking Sam going darkside. "I won't let him go evil," he responded.

"You won't have a choice in the matter. It will happen like it did for the rest of us. Haven't you ever read your Holy Books? My siblings and I became so powerful, the Angels and humans begged God to destroy us. God, though, decided we should fight each other so he sent down an Angel to facilitate the fighting. But that wasn't enough and as our influences spread to the humans, God then condemned us to die in the Great Deluge…"

Dean cut Asmodeus off with a question, "If the Nephilim died in the Great Deluge, then how come Sam is one?"

Asmodeus was vexed and answered tersely, "I don't know. From what Father had said, a Nephilim could have hidden among the 'passengers' of the Ark or one of us had hidden in Hell then came out to mate with a human female. But, with your scent, I am beginning to believe the first theory. If your ancestor is the one I'm thinking about, your brother will be powerful indeed. He will act on his compulsion to rule the Earth. He will not be able to help himself."

Dean asked something that had been bothering him since Asmodeus introduced himself, "I thought Azazel was a demon. One who was working for Lucifer to find a vessel that Lucifer could use."

Asmodeus frowned at that, "My Father was never one of those twisted, demented humans. My Father was a prefect of the Grigori, second only to Samyaza. Father was a powerful Angel…"

"Angel?" Dean questioned.

"You would call him a Fallen Angel but what he was punished for was his love of his family. All he wanted to do was to show how evil humans and the others were so he taught them how to paint and decorate themselves. Was it his fault that some of the others proclaimed themselves gods?" Asmodeus ranted. "What Samyaza did was worse. He told a human woman the true name of God so she could save herself and their children if they were ever attacked. How arrogant of him! And what did she do with her gift? She saved herself and left their children to be slaughtered!" The Nephilim was getting louder as he ranted.

Personally, Dean could understand Samyaza better than Azazel. All the Angel did was to try to save his family. Something Dean had done when he made that deal for Sam's life, what his dad had done with his deal for Dean's life. Something that Sam had done when he said yes to Lucifer then pulled the Archangel and Michael into the Cage. Dean decided to ask another question since Asmodeus was in an answering mood. After all, his dad said that getting information was one of the keys of saving people.

But before he could ask, Asmodeus became tired of answering anything else. "I grow weary talking to a lesser being." He lifted his hand and Dean prepared himself to die, all the while praying that he would be rescued by the insane Angel that had come with him to Purgatory. Before Asmodeus could complete his task, a bright flash of light lit the grove where they were and the Nephilim was thrown into a large tree. While he was dazed, Dean was pulled from the tree he had been pinned to and he disappeared from Asmodeus' sight. The Nephilim gave a roar and sniffed the air. Finding Dean's and another's scent, he started to follow them.

Dean looked at his rescuer. It was Castiel and he forgave the Angel for leaving him. Cas looked at the confused young man and said, "I was looking for a way out of here and I found it. We need to leave before the Nephilim comes after you."

Dean just nodded and curled into the Angel, trusting him to keep him safe.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

It had been a very long week, even for an Archangel. Sam's insecurities were many and very deep. Gabriel was getting so mad, he wanted to bring Zachariah back just so he could slowly and painfully kill him. That also went for all the rest who had screwed with the Winchesters so much that father and brother had turned against their youngest under the guise of protecting him. There was also the torture Sam had endured when his soul was in the Cage with Gabriel's brothers. But, there was a big upside that nobody knew about yet. Well, except for God.

He had suspected it when he heard that Sam was walking around for a year and a half without a soul and he confirmed it when Sam found the Amulet. No vessel was able to walk around without a soul, no matter what but then when you consider who Sam's progenitor was, it was plausible. No, what happened was that Sam had started to grow a new soul when he was pulled out of the Cage, seemingly soulless. Like a small child, Robo-Sam (as Dean liked to call him), was careless, sometimes cruel, self-absorbed but his bond with Dean was intact enough that he began to develop compassion and love.

Also, when Sam was "soulless" he was also very honest and said things without really thinking about them. If Dean had been thinking, he would have recognized the symptoms as Sam being a toddler in his terrible twos. But Dean, believing that Sam was soulless and dangerous, had made a deal with Death, even after Crowley and Castiel both warned him not to retrieve Sam's soul from the Cage. The stubborn Winchester asked Death to put that wounded, wild animal back into his brother, not really thinking about the consequences except that he wanted his brother back.

The wall Death had put up in Sam actually hurt the young man. It kept both the new soul and his old one apart and unable to bond. When Castiel pulled the wall down, both souls went into shock, and then started to fight each other. The wounded one had won dominance but when Castiel took on Sam's madness, the younger one was able to start bonding itself to the other in an effort to heal it. The souls were almost together but Gabriel could see there was going to be some interesting developments happening before they were done.

One was that Sam's dormant powers were going to awake. Even now, Gabriel could see them shifting and waking up. It was little things, like when Sam and Dean were investigating the murders of psychics during Lily Fair. Sam had bent a spoon and didn't even realize it. Even after the case was solved, Sam still thought it could have been one of the ghosts that had done it, probably in warning for what her sister was doing. There were other incidents that happened that the boys had blamed on Bobby's ghost but, at the time, Bobby couldn't have done them. In fact, he didn't know how to move anything too heavy until another ghost taught him. The book falling open, the sword sliding towards Dean were both examples of Sam's powers waking up.

Even now, Sam's powers were coming out in spurts. If he was either too hot or too cold, he would mentally adjust the temperature in the room. If he reached for something, it would slide to him. Sam didn't give it much thought; he believed it was Gabriel's doing. He was also starting to understand and speak Enochian without even being taught the language, not even realizing what he was doing. Gabriel had a feeling that by the time all his gifts came out, Sam would be almost as powerful as an Angel. Soon, Gabriel knew he would have to tell Sam about his heritage and his being a Nephilim. He would need to be trained soon but with his belief that powers equaled evil (Thank you very much John and Dean, Gabriel thought sourly), it could be traumatic to say the very least.

Another was that Sam was going to be a different person. Developmentally, he was at the stage where he could be influenced easily. In a way, Sam _needed_ his brother because of their bond and for continuity but Gabriel was also worried that, with Dean's mindset, Dean could hurt and damage Sam permanently. Gabriel had to teach Sam that having powers, being unique didn't mean that he would go darkside. It was the choices a person made that shaped who they were. Sort of Nature versus Nurture kind of thing. Gabriel remembered a very clear example of that argument during the time that the Grigori and some of his other brothers had children. The Grigori actually raised their kids and were there for them. The others just impregnated human women then left them to raise the kids themselves.

Many of those kids didn't have the support system they needed and they went bad but that didn't mean all of the kids did. There was one young man who fought on the side of the Grigori Nephilim, losing his life protecting the children of a Prefect. Not all of the Grigori Nephilim turned out good, even with their support system and they fought on the side of the others, killing Grigori left and right. No matter what, Gabriel had found, no matter how a person was raised or what they were taught, ultimately the decision to be either good or evil really comes down to the person themselves. But, he found, if a person had a wonderful support system and had been taught good values, that person had a higher chance of making the choices that put them on the path to Heaven.

Sam never had a chance, not really. John had left the raising of a very small child to another child just four years older. Sure, Pastor Jim and Bobby Singer both tried to give the boys some kind of moral upbringing but it was usually circumvented by John who didn't believe in God. John had taught the boys that they could lie, cheat, steal and do anything but kill humans or disrespect their father. Gabriel had to laugh. The man who wanted respect from his children couldn't even be bothered to put aside his vendetta to raise and love his sons. Dean learned John's lessons and took them to heart but Sam was different. He took Do Unto Others as gospel and, to John's disgust, lived it. This was the boy that was supposed to go darkside, to be the BoyKing of Hell. Couldn't John see that there was a steel shaft of goodness in Sam? Gabriel once again swore under his breath about the lies that had been fed to John and then Dean.

Then there was the little self-esteem problem Sam had. After years of John comparing him to his brother, Sam had very little self-esteem but what he had served him well when he left to go to Stanford. Sam, like many abused children, found a way to rebel against his abuser. For some kids, it was in drug or alcohol use, smoking at a young age or even having sex (like Dean did) but with Sam it was in his learning and ultimately in his decision to go to school. It also showed in the way Sam found and fell in love with Jessica, after all, to John, only the family was to be trusted. What Gabriel didn't like was how John used Dean's bond with his youngest to get Sam back into the fold. Sam, though, insisted on going back to Jessica but Azazel had her killed so he had to stay with Dean. Good for everyone involved in the plot to turn brother against brother, just like Cain and Abel.

Gabriel was frustrated and smiting-angry. This was the reason he had left Heaven in the first place, all the stupid politics! Now, his brothers managed to ensnare two brothers, soulmates, in their schemes. The bond between the brothers was almost broken and it would take very little to have it fully break, something Gabriel would fight not to happen.

Now, Sam's nightmares were getting worse. Three times each night, he would scream out his anguish and fear. Gabriel tried to keep the dreams away but, even with his powers, there was only so much he could do. Speaking of nightmares…

Gabriel instantly appeared in Sam's room only to be horrified by what he saw. Sam's powers didn't just wake up, they burst the dam! There was fire all over the room while the young man thrashed about in his bed. Gabriel took care of the fires first, putting them out with a snap of his fingers. Then, because new ones started almost instantly, he caused rain to fall in the room to dampen everything in it. After that was done, he needed to wake Sam up so he approached carefully and got behind the hunter. When he was positioned, he started to shake Sam awake.

"Sammy, wake up. You're having a nightmare," Gabriel said gently.

"Mmmm…NOOOO!" Sam screamed suddenly. Despite the dampness and the falling rain, another fire burst to life on the bed. Gabriel quickly put it out. He needed help, fast!

"Crowley! Get your ass here now!"

"What's going on darling? Oh, dear…" said the most wonderful voice at the moment. Gabriel sighed in relief. He knew Crowley would be able to help with the struggling Sasquatch.

"I'm having a bit of a problem waking Sam up," Gabriel said frantically, "Any ideas?"

Crowley didn't say anything, just manifested a sippy cup that had hot chocolate. Quickly, he went over to the pair and put the nipple of the cup in Sam's mouth and tipped it so the young man would swallow. The effect was immediate and Sam began to calm down.

"What's in there?" Gabriel took the bottle from Crowley.

"Hot chocolate with a twist," was the answer. "I have two charges myself and, believe me, I've had to deal with their nightmares. I found that hot chocolate for some reason helps and the twist calms them down fast."

"I bet you got the formula from a little old lady in Wales," joked Gabriel.

"Actually…" Crowley grinned. He was happy to see Gabriel joking, even if it was a very weak one. Then he got down to business, "What happened?"

"Sam's powers woke up with a vengeance. He was having nightmares then the whole room burst into flame," Gabriel explained. For moment he was silent, searching through Sam's memories. There it was, faint but there. Shit, if he had known, he would have made the room fireproof a long time ago. "When Sam's powers started to wake up he was a kid, it happened just like this," Gabriel said then went back into Sam's memories. Something just didn't make sense. Usually, powers didn't just go back to "sleep" but kept growing. And the age didn't make sense either, powers like his would have appeared when he was younger. After a bit of very deep probing, Gabriel came up with answers he didn't like. Re-emerging, he looked up at Crowley who was waiting patiently. "They really screwed this kid up!"

"How so?"

"First, Azazel bleeding into his mouth had two affects. One was to mark him as a possible vessel for Lucy and the other was to keep his natural gifts dormant until he was twenty two. I found that even then only a couple would have been allowed to come out, telekinesis and visions," Gabriel was beyond pissed. It was actually harmful to Sam for his powers to be suppressed like they were.

"What about the other thing?"

"Hmmm?"

"Well, you said first with Azazel. Usually first means more than one," Crowley said lawyerly.

Gabriel's face darkened even more as he spat out, "When Sam was six, he had a nightmare about his mother burning on the ceiling. This nightmare jump started his pyrokinesis and scared the ever living daylights out of Winchester. Zachariah had someone whispering in his ear that the power was evil and he had to suppress it so he went to a psychic, Missouri Mosley to be exact, who reluctantly gave him some herbal pills to do just that. She said in order for Sam's powers to stay dormant, he would have to take two a day but she also warned him that Sam should develop naturally but he didn't listen and started to give Sam the pills. If that asshole had just listened to her, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Gabriel was so mad, he lost it for a few seconds and the fires started again. Crowley just waved his hand and put them out. Then he looked at Gabriel with a worried look in his eye.

"Do you need some hot chocolate?" He asked.

Gabriel gave a shaky laugh then he shook his head, "No, thanks anyway. I'm just so angry that if either asshole was standing in front of me, I would have them slow roasting in the deepest pit of Hell! Sam should have been loved and comforted. He should have been taught how to control his powers but what Zachariah had done was to guarantee that Winchester would look at his son with suspicion and drug him. Father!" Gabriel's eyes filled with tears and Crowley sat down by him. He pulled Gabriel to him and held him as the Archangel continued to feed Sam the hot chocolate. Of all of them, Gabriel was his favorite and best friend in all of Creation but he would have his tongue ripped out first before he admitted it. As they sat in silence, Crowley saw that Sam had fallen asleep with the nipple halfway out of his mouth. Quietly, he took the cup from Gabriel and pulled it away from Sam to put it on the bed to be used later. He was sure they would need another dose later. Sam never did anything by half and Crowley was sure he would be having another nightmare later that night. He also repaired the room so that if Sam did wake up, he wouldn't be traumatized though tomorrow would be hard enough. He would have to be told about his powers and taught to control them.

Sure enough, four hours later Sam had another nightmare but this time Gabriel and Crowley were ready for it. Quickly, Crowley conjured another cup which Gabriel put up to Sam's mouth then he cleaned up the room. This time, though, it took two cups to calm the young man down. He had been dreaming of his time in the Cage when both Archangels were torturing him. Gabriel looked into Sam's mind to see if he could stop the dream and had gotten caught up in the nightmare.

Lucifer had held Sam down while Michael was practicing his writing on Sam's naked back with a knife. Michael had written the words like selfish, mud monkey, freak, and worthless in Sam. After he was done, Sam was flipped over and Lucifer took his turn but his cuts were deeper. Lucifer said he wanted to see if Sam had the guts to be brave so he opened Sam's stomach and pulled them out. Gabriel turned white and stepped up to stop the nightmare but he could feel Sam's pain. He pulled out and felt moisture on his face where tears had fallen. Crowley wiped Gabriel's face and comforted the Archangel the best he could.

When morning came, it couldn't have come soon enough. Crowley got up and stretched while Gabriel extracted himself from the octopus that was Sam. Even after the nightmares ended for the night, Sam was a restless sleeper. Most of his dreams had been vivid and not all of them pleasant but at least they didn't trigger any of his powers. While Sam slept on, Gabriel and Crowley went around the house and fire-proofed it. They knew that, until he got his powers under control, Sam could set the whole damned thing on fire. The biggest challenge they had, though, was to convince Sam that powers didn't automatically mean evil.

When Sam finally woke up, he acted like a child. Gabriel figured it was part the hot chocolate and part his healing soul. Sam padded into the kitchen for a bowl of his favorite cereal, Lucky Charms, then went out to the living room to watch cartoons. After a while, Gabriel went in to clean up the young man and get him dressed for the day. Crowley stayed out of sight since they were afraid that Sam's belief in his own evilness would be cemented if he knew Crowley was there before Gabriel got a chance to explain everything.

Sam and Gabriel sat in the kitchen where a candle and a metal bowl of wood had been placed on the table. Gabriel decided to take the plunge when Sam eyed the items with curiosity. "Sammy, last night you had a couple of nightmares. Do you remember what you were dreaming of?"

"Um, fire. Mom burning. Jess burning. Dad and Dean burning. Me…" Sam trailed off.

"Okay. I thought so. Something happened while you had them and I need to discuss it with you," Gabriel tried to ease into the subject. "Can you remember a nightmare you had when you were six?"

"Which one?"

"It happened before your dad took you to Missouri's."

"No, not really. All I can remember about that was how freaked Dad was that I had such a bad one. He said that Missouri could help but I kept having them," Sam said sadly.

"What I'm going to tell you is very important. You…when you had your nightmares last night, you started fires in your bedroom…with your mind," Gabriel took the plunge. He waited and Sam didn't disappoint him with his reaction.

"NO! I can't…I'm not…NO!" Sam lost it. The table started to screech across the room while the refrigerator started to dance. A fire burst into life in the garbage can and the faucets turned on full, water spraying all over. Crowley made a move as to come into the room but Gabriel just shook his head. Crowley nodded his understanding and backed up to his previous position.

Gabriel put his hands on the young man's face and made Sam look him in the eyes. Sam was like a wild animal or someone who just seen their worst nightmare, just what Gabriel had feared. "SAM! Calm down! Shh, calm down." Slowly, Sam quieted but tears started to fall. Gabriel looked around and snapped his fingers to clean the room up. Then he turned back to Sam and continued what he needed to say, "Sammy, your powers woke up last night and you need to get a handle on them…"

"I…I...I…don't have powers. Whatever I had died when Lucifer rode me into the Cage. I'm not evil…oh God, please…I'm not evil," Sam was begging.

"You're right, you're not evil but, yeah kiddo, you do have powers. They are a part of you, have been ever since you were born," Gabriel soothed. "No matter what you've been told, having powers don't automatically make you evil. Powers are powers, not good or evil. It's the choices a person makes that gives you the title good or evil. You, Sam, are good but you need to learn how to control your powers. You could hurt someone accidentally if you don't." Gabriel played the card he knew would get Sam's attention.

"But the last time I had powers, I let Lucifer out," Sam mourned, afraid he would make the same mistake.

"You were being manipulated and poisoned by Ruby. Zachariah also had a hand in what you did. If you were left alone to be who you should have been, I doubt that you would have made the same choices," Gabriel said. "Sam, I've seen your soul and your heart. Believe me when I say, you are a good person."

Sam nodded. He wasn't really convinced but Gabriel already had figured that it would take a very long time before Sam really accepted his powers and, ultimately, who and what he was. Gabriel was determined to give Sam all the chances he could and part of that was to teach the young man control.

"Okay, then, what we need to do is to work on your first power, pyrokinesis," Gabriel began.

"I thought visions were my first power," Sam said.

"Nope, pyrokinesis is since it came out the strongest. Telekinesis is the second. By the way, really impressive with the fridge!"

Sam smiled a bit at that then Gabriel said, "I want you to concentrate on this bowl of wood." Sam stared at it obediently as Gabriel went on to instruct him, "Feel the wood, make it hot…good. Very good. Now, make it hotter, smell the smoke, feel the heat." Sam could feel the wood get hotter and he smelled the wood smoke. "Now, see the flames licking at the wood." Sweat streamed from Sam's forehead as he struggled to comply. Finally, with a push, he felt something pass out of his head to the bowl and the wood burst into flames. "Great! Good job, Sammy! I'm so proud of you!" Gabriel heaped praise on the young hunter, knowing Sam desperately needed to hear it. Sam blushed and gave the Angel a huge smile.

Crowley breathed a sigh of relief. The hardest part was over and Sam was starting to accept his powers. He didn't delude himself, he knew they had a very long way to go but with Sam taking that first difficult step he felt there was a light at the end of the tunnel. It time, he felt, Sam would be able to accept who and what he was. He smiled before leaving the two to their lessons. He would be back.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

It had been three weeks since Gabriel had picked Sam up from SucroCorp, one and a half since Sam started to train. He was making tremendous strides but Gabriel insisted on him drinking the hot chocolate with a twist every night. Gabriel was honest and told Sam it was to help keep his powers under control while he slept because of the nightmares since they had a nasty way of popping out when Sam's nightmares were bad.

Crowley also started to come around to help Sam with his lessons. At first Sam was worried that Crowley being there meant he was going darkside but Gabriel again assured him that just wasn't the case. Sam finally started to relax around Crowley to the point where he was joking with the self-proclaimed King of Hell. Crowley enjoyed the lessons also. He found he liked Sam's humor and could appreciate his intelligence. He also agreed with Gabriel that the damage done to Sam was extensive and Zachariah needed to be slow-roasted.

Gabriel had been feeling as though something was coming but he didn't know what until it burst through the door between Earth and Purgatory. That morning, he had gotten Sam started with his lessons when the feeling came and hit him like a ton of bricks. Since the last time that happened the Leviathans had been let loose, Gabriel packed Sam up and, with the Impala, brought the young man back to Rufus' cabin. Gabriel and Crowley had both visited the place in the last week to upgrade the protections, having a feeling that they would need to stash Sam there but they had sincerely hoped they would not have to do that until Sam had a good handle on his pyrokinesis. They had also stocked the cabin with everything the young man would need.

"Sammy, I need you to stay here, okay?" Gabriel said. "It's important. I don't want you to practice anything until I get back since you still have a bit of control problems but the t.v. is hooked to a satellite so you can watch that and if you start to get sleepy, just drink some hot chocolate before laying down. The house is protected and I'll be back soon. Will you be okay here?"

Sam smiled at the overprotective Archangel and said, "Yeah, besides I got my laptop and I can cruise the net if you hooked me up to Wi-Fi."

Gabriel smiled and snapped his fingers, "You are now." Then he took another worried look at the young man before flying off. Sam put his duffle next to the bed then sat on the couch to watch some television.

Following his feelings, Gabriel flew to the lab where the door to Purgatory had originally been opened by Castiel. When he got there, there was a flash of light and when it died down, two figures were on the floor, unconscious. It was Dean and Cas. There was another flash and Asmodeus came through. Gabriel drew his sword and stood over the two on the floor protectively.

"Do I know you?" Asmodeus asked the Archangel. "Ah, yes, Gabriel. Still protecting Samyaza's line, I see."

Gabriel's wings flared out to cover Dean and Cas, "Stay away from them," he growled.

"Why should I want to hurt them? They are kin, after all. The Angel, like you is an Uncle while the human is a cousin. Father had raised me to honor my family, not hurt them," Asmodeus said with a smile. "The human is beautiful, is he not?"

"Your tricks won't work with me asshole, so don't even try it," Gabriel said with fire in his eyes.

"Hmmm, do you think that Dean, there, is immune to me? Do you think he could love his brother? I saw into his memories, I know that he and his brother are soulmates. It wouldn't take much on my part, you know," Asmodeus said oily.

At that, Gabriel advanced on the Nephilim with fire in his eyes. Asmodeus just smirked then said, "I can see my presence is not wanted so I'll just take my leave." With that, he disappeared. Gabriel stayed in his protective stance until he was sure that the other was far away and couldn't follow him then he grabbed hold of both Dean and Cas. He wanted to get them to the cabin as soon as possible. He also needed to let Crowley know that Asmodeus was back.

When Dean woke up, he couldn't believe where he was, on his bed in Rufus' old cabin. The place they had holed up soon after Sam's wall came down and the Leviathans fire-bombed Bobby's place. Three things surprised him more than being in the cabin, though. One was that Cas was laying on the bed next to his, apparently asleep. That shocked Dean since Cas was fully Angel again, he didn't need to sleep. Another was that his brother was in the same bed as Dean doing his best to become an octopus, arms and legs holding Dean firmly to his chest. The third surprise was the fact that a dead Archangel was sitting by Cas, eating a candy bar.

Groggily, Dean decided to address a question that bugged him the most, "Uh, didn't you die?"

"Yes and no," Gabriel answered. "I used one of my best doppelgangers, one that Lucy couldn't tell wasn't me, to go after my brother. I told you once that I loved my brothers and I just couldn't kill him myself. If that makes me a coward…"

Dean twisted around to look at his brother before going back to Gabriel, "Naw, I can understand that, man. But where have you been, doing commercials? We could have used your help! We needed you, Cas needed you!"

Seeing that Dean was ramping up for a full freak-out, Gabriel held up his hand for silence. Then, when Dean a sputtered to a stop, he said, "Dad had an assignment for me that I needed to do. When I got back, the Leviathans were already out and Sam's wall was down. Dad had me get Cas out of the lake after He put him back together again. I was the one who led Daphne to him and gave them the idea to marry. Dad only allowed me to work behind the scenes this time. Sort of like being grounded for running away." Gabriel snapped up a couple of chocolate bars and offered one to Dean who took it.

"Why are you here now?" Dean wondered.

"I was given Sam as my charge. When you and Cassie went to Purgatory, your little brother lost it. He was just waiting to be discovered when I got the word to help him," Gabriel answered.

"How long have we been gone?" was the next question.

"Three weeks."

"Crap! I knew that time ran differently in Hell and Heaven, both running faster than it does here but I never would have though Purgatory ran slower," Dean quipped. Then he had a horrible thought, "Did anything come out with us?"

Usually, Gabriel would have just passed the question off but Dean needed to know, "Yeah, a Nephilim called Asmodeus came through the crack before I could repair it."

Dean carefully extracted himself from Sam before looking the Archangel in the eye. He wanted to make his point very clear, "I don't want Sam to know, okay. If he found out, he would want to go after the sucker and I really don't want that son of a bitch coming after him."

"Why? Don't you think Sam has a need to know and, by the way, didn't someone keeping secrets lead to that whole mess a couple of years ago? Aren't you being a bit of a hypocrite by doing something you got pissed at Sam for doing?" Gabriel really wanted to know. He could have read Dean's mind for the reasons but he was curious as to how much the human would tell him.

"This time, I'm pulling big brother's prerogative. There are just some things he's better off not knowing about."

"I'm sure that will be a big comfort to him when you die," snarked Gabriel getting irritated. "My brothers did the same thing and you know what? It never worked out the way they wanted it to. Someone always got hurt."

"Look, I got my reasons!" Dean's voice started to raise.

"Okay, I'll do it but I want something in return," Gabriel answered.

Dean answered, with suspicion in his voice, "What do you want?"

Gabriel smiled. He knew that he would be able to train Sam without any interference from Dean now that he had blackmail material on him. "I'm going to be around to help Sam with some issues. What I don't want is for you to ask him what we are doing. Let him keep a secret or two if you want to keep yours. Also, he needs to have hot chocolate before he sleeps at any time. It helps with his nightmares."

"Sam and secrets don't go well together or don't you remember when he was keeping Ruby or the demon blood or his damned powers a secret. Lucifer rose, remember?" Dean's voice became even louder.

"I'd lower your voice if I were you," Gabriel said with a low growl in his voice. "This is a straight up deal, either you let him keep this quiet and you can keep Asmodeus secret or no secrets for either of you. Take or leave it."

"Can you promise me that he's not doing anything that would turn him evil?" Dean's voice trembled. He was over a barrel and he knew it.

"I'm actually overseeing it so, yeah, I can," Gabriel said drily.

"Okay, then. It's a deal," Dean decided. He just hoped that he hadn't sold his soul again.

Although Gabriel was less than pleased that Dean now had a secret that he didn't want Sam to know, at least he got Sam a reprieve from telling Dean anything about his powers. It would also give him time to help Sam's souls heal. Until they were fully merged, Sam was in a very vulnerable position.

After glaring at Gabriel for a few minutes, Dean said, "Why is Cas unconscious? What's wrong with him?"

"Cassie will wake up soon. He just needed some downtime so he could recharge his batteries so to speak. When he does, he's going to be disorientated a bit so don't be surprised by anything he says or does."

"Ever since he showed up naked and covered in bees, I'm not surprised by anything he does," grinned Dean.

Gabriel laughed, "Dad! I wish you had taken pictures! I could have used blackmail materiel on him!" A warmth washed over the two older brothers as they looked at their sleeping siblings.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Now-

It had been a very confusing two weeks since Dean and Cas got back. Like before when he got back from Hell, Dean refused to discuss Purgatory. He also was researching something on the net but he refused Sam's help when it was offered, making Sam feel like Dean was once again not trusting him. Every so often, like today, Dean and Cas go to investigate whatever it was they were looking into, their secret mission. The first time they had left Sam, he tried to find out what Dean was looking for but his brother had deleted his search history. If it wasn't for his training with Gabriel or Crowley to distract him, Sam would have torn down the cabin looking for clues as to what his brother was up to.

The other thing that was confusing was the way Cas was acting. One time, he would be the old Cas, confused about some things humans did and a bit innocent, even after everything he had done or seen. Then there were the times that Cas was like a father, concerned about his feelings and how he was doing. That Cas would play catch or insist on going fishing with Sam. That Cas would be concerned about Sam's well-being, something only Dean had done when Sam became a teen. Something John forgot how to do.

Cas was also starting to make sure the boys ate a good meal, were clean and warm. He made sure Sam drank his hot chocolate at night and woke the young man up when Sam's nightmares happened. Something in Sam absorbed this attention like someone who had been starved then was given food. It got to the point where Sam started to hate it when Cas left with Dean on one of those mysterious errands. It was beginning to feel like the times that John and Dean went on hunts and left Sam behind because it was too dangerous or Sam wasn't good enough to go. Sam's depression that started to leave him when he lived with Gabriel started to come back in force.

This last time, Sam practically begged to go with the other two but Dean said no and that was that. He and Cas left Sam. Gabriel hadn't been expected until later to work on his powers so Sam was left with nothing to do. He started to clean the cabin since Dean kept leaving things all over and it was driving Sam nuts. It was while Sam was making Dean's bed that he tripped over the boot and put his hand through the wall, finding the journals. Curious about why Rufus would hide journals, he sat down at the table and opened one only to find that Rufus wasn't the author of those journals but Dean and John. After a short battle with himself, Sam began to read his father's journal.

As he read, he became cold. The words in his father's journal made it clear that John thought he would go darkside even when he was just a little kid. It began when Mary was killed and John found out about the supernatural. John was told by Missouri that evil would be attracted to Sam and try to turn him. Nothing new there, Missouri had told Sam about that the last time he saw her. But what was new was that, after a nightmare he had when he was six, he had started a fire in the wastebasket (Gabriel had told him about that), his dad was so freaked out that he hightailed it back to Missouri's and demanded she give him something to suppress Sam's powers. Even with the daily "vitamins", Sam's powers would come out every so often, especially after a nightmare.

What really got to him was what his father had written when he was a teen. It wasn't that he had been concerned about _Sam_ the time Sam had run away to Flagstaff but that Sam may have been running towards demons. By this time, John had heard from demons that he had exorcised how Sam was going to turn evil because of what happened when he was just six-months old. John was apologetic to Dean about laying into him for letting Sam slip out but he had never apologized for what he had done to his youngest. Dean never knew that, while John had him go out for a food run, John had beaten his youngest until bruises were on top of bruises. Then Sam was grounded to their room for a month, never able to even go to the library to help with research. It was during that time that John had noted Dean's half-hearted joke about taking Sam out to the woods and shooting him instead of keeping him a prisoner. Dean just said it to make a point to their dad but John hadn't taken it that way. He seriously thought about it.

All through his teen years, John had believed that his youngest son was evil incarnate, it was the reason that he had fought so hard against letting Sam go to Stanford. Even after Sam was at college, John had some hunter friends he could trust watch his son carefully. When Sam met Jessica, John had gone to Stanford to talk to her. When he tried to get her to break up with Sam saying it could cost her her life being with the youngest Winchester, Jessica told him that Sam didn't have an evil bone in his body and for John to leave before she called the police to have him arrested for threatening her. John got out of there but kept a very close eye on the situation. Then he got the idea of "disappearing" and having Dean get Sam to help look for him. When the case of the Woman in White was solved, Sam went back to Jessica only to find her dead on the ceiling of their bedroom. Dean pulled him from the fire and, in John's journal, the man wondered if it hadn't been better if Dean had left Sam in that fiery room.

John stayed "missing" so Sam would have to stay with Dean, firmly under his brother's thumb but things didn't go as planned. Especially when Dean got electrocuted and was dying. John wanted to go to his eldest's side but he was too worried about doing so. He didn't want to get close to Sam just in case he had to do something, in case he had to kill his own son. Because he didn't want to, he started to tell some of his hunter friends about Sam. Walt, Roy, and Gordon were among those he talked to and they were the ones who went after Sam. John also tried to talk to Bobby who threatened John with a shotgun.

John had also written about deciding to hunt with his sons again though he and Sam ended up butting heads. John had talked about the demons who had him and what the Yellow-Eyed Demon had said to him while being possessed. Then the accident happened and John made a deal with YED for Dean's life, knowing that he wasn't strong enough to kill Sam but Dean would be. Sam's heart broke when he read how his father blamed him for the accident that caused Dean's coma.

The self-esteem that Gabriel and Crowley were helping him to rebuild took a large hit but it was Dean's journal that put Sam into a downward spiral. At Bobby's insistence, Dean started the journal to help him work through Hell and what had happened to him. He kept it going because of the Angels and what they were saying about Sam's destiny. After a while, though, Dean was surprised that Cas' tune changed to say that Sam had a chance to do the right thing but Dean had believed Uriel and Zachariah more than he did Cas or Sam himself. When Sam jumped into the Cage, Dean felt a relief of sorts that he wasn't burdened anymore by his baby brother. He had always felt that Sam was an obligation that he had to keep safe for his mother and father, even though he had denied it to Sam's face many times.

When Sam had revealed that he was alive, Dean became suspicious and sacrificed his life with Lisa and Ben just to keep close to Sam. Not for the reason of love and brotherhood but because of duty. Sam once again became his burden, one to keep the world safe from. When Sam got his soul back, Dean was happier. It meant that he didn't have a soulless killing machine on his hand. But Dean was also waiting for Sam to go insane which actually didn't happen until Cas pulled Sam's wall down. When Cas took over Sam's link to Lucifer, Dean was relieved but he still didn't trust Sam's judgment.

Sam also learned about who the Yellow-Eyed Demon really was, Azazel. A fallen Angel who was once a Prefect of the Grigori, the ones Pastor Jim had called the Watchers. It was funny, really. Dean never realized that if he had told Sam who the Yellow-Eyed Demon really was, they could have had a different past. Rufus and Jim both gave Sam information and books to read about the Grigori and the Nephilim a very long time ago. He knew that, if he had known, many of his choices would have been very different. He definitely would have killed Ruby long before she got him to kill Lilith. He would have found and exorcised Lilith the old fashioned way. He wouldn't have felt the need to go to Hell to atone for his sins…

The newest entries in Dean's journal showed Sam just how much his brother didn't trust him. They talked about Dean's meeting with Asmodeus and how the Nephilim told Dean that Sam would go darkside, couldn't help it actually. They talked about Dean's search for Asmodeus since he also came through the same crack that allowed Dean and Cas to escape from Purgatory.

He closed the journals and laid them side by side on the table. While he sat there waiting for Dean and Cas to come back from looking for Asmodeus, Sam took off the Amulet he had been wearing since he dug it out of the Impala's trunk. He looked at it laying in his hand, the symbol of his love and trust in his brother. It had all been a lie. His anger and depression grew as he waited for his brother. His hand closed around the Amulet, making a fist. He felt crushed, destroyed and all it took was the truth that his brother and father had hidden from him for years: they never trusted him at all.

By the time Cas and Dean got back, it was dark and very stormy. Sam kept the lights off in the cabin. He didn't think he was worth even that little mercy. After all, Dean believed he was going darkside, no matter what he did or said. No matter what.

Sam heard the Impala pull up and he tightened his hand around the Amulet, tears trickling down his face as he prepared to confront his brother. He knew that what was said in the next few minutes would determine if he stayed or left. It would all be up to Dean.

The door opened and two very wet beings crossed the threshold. Looking up at the dark in the room, Dean asked, "Hey Sammy, did we trip a circuit?"

Sam's voice was hoarse as he simply said, "No."

Dean's eyebrows went up as he turned on the light switch. "There, like the Man said once, let there be light!"

"I don't find that funny Dean," Castiel said with aplomb.

Dean laughed then looked over at the silent Sam. His laughter died down as he saw what was sitting in front of his brother on the table…journals, his and his dads. "Oh, shit," he thought. Then he took a breath before attacking, "Sam, what the hell? Don't you have any respect for privacy?"

"I thought they belonged to Rufus," was Sam's reply. "After all, who else would hide journals in the wall? By the way, did you find Asmodeus?"

Dean's stomach fell. He knew his brother had read the journals just with that last question. "No, we didn't. Found some pretty interesting bodies of demons, though. Could be a turf war in Hell because no respecting Hunter would leave the bodies unsalted and burned."

"Sounds like an easy run. Too bad you didn't want me there, maybe I could have found something to tell you one way or another. That's right…you don't trust me since if I met up with Asmodeus, I would, how did you put it? Go darkside? After all this frigging time, you still don't trust me, do you? Not to have your back, not to go darkside. Hell, I'm surprised you trusted me to stay by myself or did you think since Gabriel was going to be here, he would be my babysitter?" Sam asked bitterly. Dean was quiet. Sam took that to mean he hit the nail on the head so he went on, "You know what gets to me is that you had put me through hell because I kept a few secrets…"

"A _few_ secrets?" Dean's temper finally blew. "You knew about the Yellow-Eyed Demon…"

"Don't you mean Azazel?" Sam asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, Azazel…bleeding into your mouth a year before I went to Hell. You kept your powers a secret, using them even after I made it my _dying_ wish that you don't. Oh, yeah, how about screwing a demon? Or drinking her blood so you would become addicted? Or…"

"How about you knew Azazel's true name and kept it a secret for all these years? You listened to everyone but me, you know that? To Dad, to the Angels and even to demons. What did Alastair say to you while you were on his rack? That I was going to be the BoyKing of Hell? You believed _everyone_ but me. God, Dean, do you know if you had told me that demon's name, I may not have made the choices I did?"

"Don't you go laying this on me, Sam! I didn't tell you for a reason…"

"Oh, and you want me to listen to your lame-assed excuses now? Sorry, Dean, I don't know if I could trust you to tell me the truth. Hell, my whole life has been one huge lie! Why stop now?" Dean cringed at the truth in Sam's words and the fire in his brother's eyes.

"Sammy, c'mon," Dean began.

"You lost the right to call me Sammy! That name is for someone who loves me, who trusts me and you are not that person, Dean. You know what really kills me? Even after I went to Hell for almost two hundred years, you still didn't trust me. You left your normal life to follow me around so when I go darkside, you could follow Dad's last order and kill me. You left Lisa…" Dean's fist stopped Sam's next words as it landed on his jaw, snapping his head back. Dean watched as Sam's fist traveled towards his stomach and knocked the wind out of him. It would have disintegrated from there except Castiel stepped between the brothers and forced them apart.

"That's enough!" he said but before he could say anything else, Sam interrupted him.

"Hey, Castiel. Why don't you tell me the truth about why it is so important for me and Dean to hate each other that Angels had been whispering in his and Dad's ear all my life? What's so important about me that I'm so hated before I was even born? Mom sold me even before I was thought of, Dad hated me since Mom died and Dean…Why me?" Sam cried out his anguish as a crack of thunder sounded through the cabin. Cas' eyes filled with tears at the young man's pain.

Sam looked down at his fist, the one that had the Amulet still in it. "Dad, the Angels and even you Dean, believed more in my potential to go darkside more than you ever had faith in my potential to be good," Sam said very quietly. Then he opened his hand to reveal the Amulet to both Dean and Cas. With a bitter tone in his voice, he said, "I took this out of the trash after you threw it away for being worthless. A symbol of my trust and love, worthless just because God chose not to be found. I was going to give it back to you after I proved to you my love and that you could trust me but you're right, it _is_ worthless. It was also a symbol of how I loved and trusted you. I can't trust you anymore, Dean." He threw it at Dean's head then said, "Go ahead and throw it away again." While Dean and Cas stared at the Amulet that now was on the floor, Sam walked out of the door, slamming it shut. Dean looked up with tears streaming down his face. Shakily, he picked up the Amulet then ran to the door.

"SAMMY! Please come back!" he cried into the storm. There was no answer to his cries, just the rain coming down hard.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

It had been weeks since Sam landed on Gabriel's doorstep once again. He was like he had been at SucroCorp, deaf, mute, blind and paralyzed but this time he made no move to come back. Gabriel took a liberty and read Sam's mind to find out what had happened and he was appalled. Dean had single-handedly crushed his brother into fine dust. The self-esteem that Sam had built up was so flattened, Gabriel couldn't even find it. Now, Gabriel was back to feeding, cleaning and generally caring for Sam. What worried the Archangel was how well Sam had hidden himself, not even his powers were making sudden appearances.

"Hello, darling," came a voice behind Gabriel. "How's the dear boy doing?"

"Not good," Gabriel responded. "Part of it was that Sam found journals that Dean and John had kept. It wasn't bad enough that he found they had been lying to him for years but then he and Dean had a fight that totally decimated him. The kid has nothing to live for anymore. He believes he is going to go darkside and he doesn't want to so he has hidden himself somewhere in his mind."

"Doesn't he believe you when you tell him he has the choice to be good or evil?" Crowley asked, coming up to Gabriel's side.

"Thanks to Zachariah and the rest of them upstairs, I don't think he'll take the word of any Angel now," Gabriel mourned.

"I think I have the perfect solution," Crowley smiled. "My baby gave birth six months ago and the puppies are ready to be adopted. There is one who is just perfect for Sam, a little bitch who is a chip off of Al Rakim. Never saw one so perfect as her."

"What does she look like?" Gabriel was curious, hoping they wouldn't end up with a three headed Cerberus which was totally in line with Crowley's sense of humor. His too, come to think of it.

Crowley grinned as he realized what Gabriel was after. Then he became serious and described the puppy he wanted Sam to have, "She has medium long white fur with gold and silver highlights. Teal eyes that seem like they see everything. She'll give Sammy a run for his money with the puppy dog eyes."

"I so can't wait to see that battle," Gabriel quipped. Then he looked at Sam, laying on the bed totally unresponsive. "When do you think you can bring the puppy?"

"Actually, she's here now. I just wanted to warn you before giving her to Sam," Crowley said then he went to get the puppy. When he came back, he had a wriggling six month old puppy straining at her leash to get to the young man on the bed. Gabriel and Crowley took it as a good sign that she wasn't growling or snarling. She was a Celestial Hound, a dog that could never serve evil but would hunt and kill any demon or monster that came close to her charge. It was what she inherited from her ancestor, the great Al Rakim who watched over the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus to protect them. Carefully, Crowley brought her closer to the sleeping man. When she got close enough, she started to sniff at him and then she licked him. Both Gabriel and Crowley knew that she was imprinting Sam in her memory and senses. She would always be able to find him now. Crowley unhooked her collar from her leash and she jumped on the bed at Sam's feet, adopting a guarding position. Gabriel motioned for him and Crowley to leave the bedroom, Sam would be well guarded.

Sam slept for another two weeks while the pup sat by his feet, refusing to move. Gabriel knew she wouldn't want to eat or sleep until her Sleeper awoke, so it didn't bother him. He knew that what Sam was experiencing now was a healing sleep. Celestial Hounds generally didn't heal their masters but something about Sam had the pup so enthralled that she started to give him healing kisses over his heart and on his forehead. She did this several times a day until Sam opened his eyes.

His eyesight was blurry but the weight by his chest was warm and comforting. A quiet yip in his now hearing ears told him that it was a dog who was close by him. He reached out a shaky hand and felt very fine fur then he began to automatically stroke it. Gabriel, who very rarely left his side, rejoiced to see Sam healing again.

It took a few more weeks before Sam was back to moving around and practicing with his powers, the dog never leaving his side. When Sam was ready to talk, he did so in a very quiet voice and only spoke Enochian. When Gabriel checked him out, he found that Sam's souls had finished merging. He also found that Sam had emerged from his last sleep as a full-fledged Nephilim, the first born on Earth in centuries.

When Gabriel told Sam what he was, the young hunter freaked to be perfectly frank. He had read about Nephilims while studying with Rufus and Pastor Jim and knew that they were a big part of the reason God had chosen to destroy the Earth. He also remembered what Dean's journal had said, that Asmodeus told Dean that Sam would go darkside when his powers were fully awake. Instead of making the furniture fly, Gabriel would have been relieved if Sam had done that, Sam just curled into a very small ball and started to cry.

Gabriel sat next to the ball of Sam and began to talk about the puppy, "Sammy, do you know anything about Cerberus?"

The ball shook "no" and Gabriel went on, "What most people, humans, don't know is that Cerberus is what we call a Celestial Hound. That means he and his descendants do not serve evil beings. They will tear them apart. Now, Cerberus is only one breed of Celestial Hound. Another came from a dog named Al Rakim who was the protector of Seven Sleepers. Your dog, Sammy, is descended of Al Rakim. She is proof positive that, even though you are a Nephilim, you are not evil."

The Sam-ball started to uncurl and Gabriel could see the red, tear-filled eyes that told of pain and sorrow. "Why?"

With that one word question, Gabriel knew it was time to tell Sam everything he was allowed. Putting his arms around Sam and pulling him closer, Gabriel started to talk about the Grigori and the truth of the Nephilim. He told Sam about Samyaza and the last survivor of the family, a six month old girl who would become the beginning of the line that would eventually produce him and his brother. He told about how some Angels decided they were upset about God not being in Heaven but had chosen to walk on the Earth among the "babies" of the family. It was their decision to bring about the apocalypse by causing two soulmates to be born as brothers so the pain of betrayal would be extreme, the same kind of pain Michael felt with Lucifer. Gabriel talked about how John had Angels whispering in his ear for many years, telling him about Sam's destiny of being evil and how that kept father and son estranged. He also talked about Castiel and his part, Gabriel's own part he had to play. Then he finally talked about Crowley and his part.

He said that Crowley, thousands of years ago, had been given the task to test and tempt humans. He had even tempted Job when God made it a challenge. Crowley had always known where God was, just like Gabriel himself but both of them were under strict orders never to reveal where He was. "It was a test to see what would happen in Heaven and on Earth. Dad said you passed with flying colors, by the way." Sam smiled at that, just a tiny one but a smile just the same and Gabriel rejoiced.

"Now there are a couple more things you need to know right now, Sammy. One is that when you were brought back from the Cage, contrary to popular belief, you were not soulless. No vessel can walk around without a soul or Angelic Grace. What happened was that you started to grow a brand new soul. You wouldn't have been able to do that if you were not Nephilim. When your brother made the deal with Death, he had your damaged soul put back into your body, not even realizing what was going on. Death put up a wall that had kept your souls apart when they should have been left to merge and heal each other. A kindness that actually hurt you since, when your wall was pulled down your souls didn't recognize each other and fought until the damaged one won. When Castiel re-directed the Hell memories of Lucifer, your younger soul took advantage and began to do what it needed to, heal you and make you whole. You now have just the one soul.

"Another thing you need to know is that Samyaza's prison term is ending. He already has been making appearances. What you need to know is that he was imprisoned not for being evil but for telling his wife the true name of God so if she and their children were attacked, she could get them to safety. What he failed to tell her was that the children needed to be near her when she did so. It was that mistake that led to the killing of all their children except for that six month old baby girl. Dad had imprisoned Samyaza for seventy generations and that sentence is up very soon. He is very family oriented. He loved his family then and he loves his family now, judging by his actions."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked in a whisper.

"When Dad imprisoned Samyaza, he was imprisoned in his mind. Dad remade him to be someone else. That someone you know as Castiel…"

"Wait, Cas is Samyaza? Who else knows this?" Sam's interest was piqued.

"I do and so does Crowley. Joshua and some of the others but not all of the Family does. Dad wanted to keep it secret since many of them wanted Samyaza dead. It was done for his protection. Dad also felt that his crime didn't need to have him in Hell. Dad has always been a big advocate for families and what Samyaza did was to try to save his."

"I don't get it. Why did Asmodeus tell Dean that it was a certainty that I was going darkside? Why didn't Dean ever believe me when I told him I wouldn't but he believed everyone else?" Sam's anguish was clear in his questions.

"I believe that, when Asmodeus told Dean that you would go darkside, he had had a look into Dean's mind and saw what the Angels and demons had been telling your brother for years. Asmodeus likes to play mind games, usually involving Lust, but this would have presented too much of a temptation for that Nephilim. As to why Dean believed everyone but not you? All I can think of is how many years he had of someone telling him you would be evil just because of the blood that Azazel dripped into your mouth.

"Remember, too, he never really had a childhood. He had to take care of you and I can tell you from personal experience that can wear on a person. It makes you feel used by your parent, like you are just around to be a babysitter and nothing more. Yeah, burden was a word that passed through my own mind from time to time. After a while, you begin to believe that you know best and baby brother doesn't know anything. Not an excuse, mind you, but something that just is.

"I also believe you had been blocked from getting your brother out of Hell simply because the Angels needed to be his rescuers so he would listen to them before you. The same reason that happened was the same reason why Ruby addicted you to her blood, why you had to kill Lilith and why you had to be the defiant son. They needed to break your bond to your brother so he would agree to be Michael's vessel and use that anger he felt against you to kill you," Gabriel looked at the clock and found it was close to eight at night. Sam needed to eat then walk the dog. He smiled and went on, "Now we have to get you something to eat then you need to take care of your pet. By the way, what are you going to name her?"

Sam looked at his furry companion and smiled. There was a name he had really liked and he hoped the puppy would appreciate it, "Tabitha is the name I want to call her."

The puppy wagged her tail at the name. "Tabitha," agreed Gabriel. Then he got Sam off the floor and into the kitchen where he snapped up a light meal. Even though they had made tremendous strides that day, he knew that he had to get the brothers back together so they could re-establish their bond.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Dean had been looking for Sam for weeks now with no sign that his brother was even in the Continental United States. Like Bobby had once said, if Sam didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be. Dean was frustrated and upset. Frustrated because Sam just disappeared on him and upset because his brother left him after the fight. Nothing that Sam had said wasn't true. God, Dean wished Sam was wrong about everything but he hadn't been and it hurt Dean to realize how much of a hypocrite he had been for years.

Castiel had been no help at all. He had started to sleep more, often for days at a time. Sometimes there was a glow that surrounded him and when he woke up, he was disoriented for a while, thinking that Dean was his son, not his friend. When Cas found out that Sam was missing, the Angel took off and started his own search only to come back to the cabin despondent because he couldn't find the young hunter. What shocked Dean was that Cas had sat down and cried because his child was gone. Dean did his best to console the Angel but it had taken hours before Cas' tears stopped and he went back to sleep.

Finally, Dean tried his very last resort. He had noticed that since Sam walked out, Gabriel hadn't been around. Dean prayed that Sam was with the Archangel since that meant he would be safe. After Cas went to sleep one night, Dean bowed his head and prayed for Gabriel to help him find his brother. Gabriel didn't show up or talk to him and he went to bed bitter with disappointment.

When he woke up, the first thing Dean saw was a bag of M&Ms on his pillow and a note underneath it. On the note was an address with a warning that Sam was very skittish. When Dean came, he was to walk up to the house so as not to spook his brother.

Dean was up and packing by the time Castiel had woken up. Dean, seeing the Angel awake, just threw Cas' clothes at him and growled, "We're leaving in ten minutes." Cas didn't say anything, just got dressed and poured a mug of coffee, something he had become addicted to. Then he went out to the car to watch Dean pack four duffles, one was his, another was Sam's and a third was for Cas. The fourth duffle carried their weapons. Cas got into the Impala then waited while Dean finished getting some food for the road and locked the cabin. Exactly ten minutes after Cas woke up, they were on the road and driving towards Sam.

It took them a couple of days of Dean's maniac driving for them to reach the address on the note. Heeding Gabriel's warning, Dean parked the Impala at a motel in town then he and Cas walked to the house. Dean stopped while in a tree line to watch Sam who was out on the porch of the two story house. Sam was reading while sitting on the steps, a young dog was next to him. Every so often, the dog would life it's head and look around before putting it back down. When Dean looked at his companion, he saw the awe in Cas' face, like he saw something beautiful and rare. Taking a breath, Dean nudged the Angel and they continued the walk to the house.

Tabitha scented the air and looked around to see two beings walking towards her and her charge. Getting up, she went into a protective stance and yipped at them. She could scent the similarities to Sam and knew they were related to him. Sam looked up and dropped the book he was reading. Fear coursed through him as he thought Dean was there to kill him, finally carrying out their father's last order. He got up and backed away from the approaching man and Angel. Tabitha could feel his fear and stood in front of him, daring anyone to come close.

"Hey, Sammy," was all Dean could get out before a panicked and angry Sam tugged on Tabitha's leash to lead her into the house, slamming the door closed on his brother.

"Huh," Dean remarked. "That went well." He stood outside the door wondering what his next move would be.

_A/N-Al Rakim was a dog who watched over the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus until they woke up in Islamic Legend. _

Big thanks to 3DBABE1999 for the ideas and for helping with this chapter and definitely the story. Wonderful idea! Working on Chapter Two now, hoping to have it done soon. Big thanks to my other beta Daiyu Amaya.


	3. Chapter 3

"_He who understands you is greater kin to you than your own brother. For even your own kindred neither understand you nor know your true worth." Kahlil Gibran _

Chapter Two

"_Hey, Sammy," was all Dean could get out before a panicked and angry Sam tugged on Tabitha's leash to lead her into the house, slamming the door closed on his brother._

"_Huh," Dean remarked. "That went well." He stood outside the door wondering what his next move would be._

As Dean stood in front of the door wondering what to do next, Cas gently pushed him aside and rang the doorbell. They waited nervously until the door opened. Gabriel looked out and said, "What are you doing out here?"

"Ah, door got slammed in my face," Dean explained with a red face.

"He's still pissed, I take it?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah, you could say that," Dean answered.

"Well, come in and we'll get this straightened out," Gabriel beckoned them into the house. When they were in the house, Gabriel led them to the living room where Crowley sat drinking some scotch.

Dean swore, "What the hell is he doing here?"

Before anyone could say anything, Cas looked at Crowley and said, "Hello brother. It's good to see you."

Crowley smiled then said, "It's good to see you again brother. How are you doing?"

"I am doing well, considering," Cas replied.

"Hey, what going on?" Dean was totally confused by Cas calling Crowley brother. He knew the Angel and demon had worked together to open the door to Purgatory but this was ridiculous.

The other three looked at him like they had forgotten Dean was even in the room. Crowley grinned at Gabriel who just rolled his eyes while Cas looked puzzled, and then his expression cleared once he realized what Dean was asking. Silently, Cas looked at Crowley for permission who nodded. Gabriel also nodded his agreement, Dean had a need to know and the house was warded against Angels, Demons and other creatures from listening in or even getting in.

"Dean, what do you know of Satan?" Castiel asked.

"Isn't that one of Lucifer's names?" Dean said puzzled.

"I really hate it when people confuse me with that douche-bag," Crowley whined. Gabriel just laughed at his expression.

"No, Dean. Satan is an Angel who was given a task by our Father to tempt and test humans, the perfect Crossroads Demon if you will," Cas said. "It is the reason you didn't find Crowley's bones when you were trying to get Bobby's soul back. He didn't have any to leave, those were planted since his vessel had to appear to die."

"I thought we met his son. You remember, the kid who gave us the lo…oh, I get it," Dean said. "Not the real bones."

"I adopted him when I married his mother. Unfortunately, we got along like oil and water since he thought I was taking his father's place," Crowley said mournfully. "Ever since Father gave me the task, every human hates me but it is necessary. How can a person know what they can do if I wasn't around?"

"Then, why open Purgatory?" Dean asked.

"I didn't want Raphael to start the apocalypse all over again now did I? After all, I helped you to stop it in the first place," Crowley answered. "I really didn't expect Cas to let the Leviathans loose. If I had known about them, I would have suggested a different plan of action."

Cas turned red at the mention of his biggest error yet. "I feel very bad about what I did, especially that I killed Balthazar," he said sadly.

"About that," Gabriel decided to let Cas off the hook, "He's back Upstairs and is pissed. He said that you have a lot of ass-kissing to do to get back on his good side."

"Why would I want to put my lips to his backside?" Cas asked. Gabriel and Dean both cracked up while Crowley just rolled his eyes. Even though Samyaza was waking up, Cas was still very naïve in many ways.

"Uh, he uh meant you are going to have a lot of apologizing to do," Dean gasped out. Then he got serious, "What about you teaming up with Raphael?"

"So sue me! I got mad because Castiel here decided to change the terms of our agreement. Believe me, though, I wouldn't have let him have to right blood. Stupid git!" Crowley growled.

"Does Sam know about Crowley?" Dean then asked.

"Sure. Actually I had to tell him when his true nature woke up. Believe me, that kid had a meltdown when I told him he was a full-fledged Nephilim. For some reason, he believed that he would go darkside just because of that," Gabriel said wryly.

Dean was confused. That is what he had been told by Asmodeus and then there was his own research that had said the same thing. "Wait, what? Everything I've read, everything I've been told said that Nephilim were nasty creatures that needed to be ganked," he said sadly.

"Dean," Cas began, "That's not totally true. Sure some of the children went bad but that was their choice to do so. The Grigori raised their children while others just mated with human women and left them, not caring about their issue. I cared for and raised my children as best as I could. I loved them and they were taught to revere all life that Father had made." Cas stopped and blinked, "What did I say?"

"I think someone is waking up," Gabriel said wisely.

"Huh? Wait, I thought you said you were a virgin," Dean was totally confused. What he was hearing had actually thrown him for a loop. Nephilim not necessarily evil? Sam a Nephilim? Was this a big cosmic joke on him?

"I'm sorry but I didn't remember my wife and children until recently," Castiel answered. "I can see some of Adineal in you. Sam, though, looks like I did thousands of years ago. Before Father changed me."

Dean looked at his friend in astonishment then got back to Sam. "How can Sam be a Nephilim?"

Crowley answered that one, "When Adineal used the true name of our Father, she went to Heaven but left the children behind. She didn't know that she had to be holding them so she tried to hide them before invoking His name. None of them survived except for one child, a girl. When Samyaza got back to his home, he found his children had all been slaughtered except for that baby. Gabriel was waiting to take him to Father so he asked our brother to make sure she would be safe and taken care of."

Gabriel picked the story up from there, "I placed her with a family whose father was related to Noah. When it came time for the child to marry, she was given to Japheth, a son of Noah. So the line of the Nephilim actually survived. Over time, in your family, there have been individuals who were born with some of the powers, but until Sam, none of them were fully Nephilim. It's the reason why he was able to walk around with apparently no soul after getting out of Hell."

"What do you mean apparently? Cas told me he had no soul after digging around in Sam's chest," Dean wondered.

"Do you remember when both Cas and I told you that getting Sam's soul back from the Cage and putting it back into him was a bad idea?" Crowley asked.

"I thought that was because it had been damaged," Dean confessed.

"That was only part of it. No vessel can live without a soul or Grace and when Sam was walking around without a soul, it had told us something was up. Castiel couldn't find Sam's soul because it was newborn. Sam started to grow a new soul when his vessel was pulled out of the Cage. Robo-Sam was being the age his soul was. He was thoughtless, selfish, cruel, honest when needed and lied to keep himself safe. All things children do at a very young age, say around two. Being around Samuel helped to shape those actions since Sam just copied what he saw, like a child. When you were back in his life, Sam was relearning compassion, love and all the positive things he could but you also were suspicious of him, so he kept on lying and keeping secrets as a protection. Just like a child. Remember that a first thing a child learns how to do to protect themselves is to lie.

"When Death put Sam's tortured soul back in and put up the wall, it actually harmed him since the new soul couldn't heal the old. Sorry, kiddo, but you hurt your brother by demanding the 'old' Sam be restored," Gabriel explained. "When the wall was torn down, the souls fought each other and the damaged one won for a while until Cas had redirected the Lucifer bond away from Sam. The younger one then was able to start bonding with the damaged one until they finally merged. But to make the healing complete, he still needs you."

"Why does he need me? I hurt him badly," Dean said sadly.

"Do you remember when you went to Heaven and you met your friend Ash?" Castiel asked.

"Yeah, why?" Dean asked.

"Do you remember when he explained how Heaven works? That most people have individual Heavens except for soulmates?" Cas questioned.

"Uh, yeah," Dean answered, wondering where the questions were going.

"Did you ever wonder why, except for that time with the fireworks that your brother wasn't in any of your Heavens?" Gabriel took up the questioning.

"No, not really. I guess I was still pissed that Sam's Heavens were of being away from me and dad," Dean confessed.

Gabriel looked at Dean with a penetrating stare, "First of all, those Heavens with that one exception had been manipulated by Zachariah to drive the two of you apart. He didn't want either of you to know that you are soulmates. He wanted to keep you apart so you would hate him, like Cain hated Abel. Your Heaven isn't complete without Sam just as his isn't complete without you. Those were lies, Dean. That's all they were."

Tears started to shine in Dean's eyes. He had been hurt when he saw what he thought was Sam's Heaven so he took it out on his brother not even knowing that is what Zachariah wanted. It should have been so clear at the time but he didn't see it. He had been so blinded with his own hurt feelings that he even threw out the Amulet that, like Sam had said, was a symbol of his brother's love and trust.

His head jerked as Gabriel continued, "Sammy was very lonely when he was in Heaven without you…"

"What do you mean? I was there when…" Dean started.

"Before, when he died at Cold Oaks, he went to Heaven," Gabriel said. "I was able to show him some of it, like being with your mom or how your dad played with him. Meeting Jess, that sort of thing. But most of his Heaven was with you. Since you weren't there, it was a pale imitation of you that he saw."

"Oh God! Please don't tell me that I had pulled him out of Heaven when I made that deal? I thought he was in Hell," Dean said miserably. He couldn't believe what a mistake he had made, how badly he had hurt his brother.

"I know that all signs pointed to that, didn't they? Sam being part of Azazel's special children, the way those children sometimes went bad, like Anson did or like Max. Being told by your dad to watch Sam. That you may have to kill him if you couldn't save him. What you didn't know was that Zachariah had an Angel whispering in your ear, increasing your doubts about where Sam would ultimately go, even after you found out Sam was a man of faith. When I showed him parts of his Heaven, he said that he understood why you did what you did. That you thought he was being hurt. Dean, Sam forgave you for pulling him out of Heaven," Gabriel revealed.

Dean's eyes teared up. Even though Sam had always forgiven him for the things he had done, like the Nair incident, it was hard to believe that Sam had forgiven him for pulling him out of Heaven. He felt like he didn't deserve Sam in his life. Gabriel, reading his thoughts, said, "Your brother's faith is very strong. It could put even some Angels to shame. Because it is so strong, it had confounded those who had preconceived ideas about him since he was Lucifer's vessel."

"Now, before you go see your brother, there is another thing you need to know about him," Gabriel warned him.

"What?" Dean became very nervous. He already felt like he had been riding a roller coaster of emotions. He wondered what else the Angels were going to throw at him. The next thing that Gabriel said plunged him down again.

"The thing is is that his powers are awake. This means if you piss him off, he will throw you across the room. They still slip his control but he is better."

Dean's mouth fell open as he processed the information. His baby brother with powers again. "Last time he had powers, he let Lucifer out of the Cage," he rasped.

Gabriel nodded then said, "That's because he hadn't grown up with them. If he had, he would never let Ruby get close enough to him to poison him with her blood. He would have already known how to use them."

"I didn't know that he had powers as a kid," Dean confessed.

"There are two reasons for that, Dean," Crowley said. "First, when Azazel fed Sam his blood, it did two things. One was to mark him as a possible vessel for Lucifer. (Dean nodded at that) The second was that it suppressed his natural abilities for the most part. The second reason was that your father made sure you wouldn't know. Especially after Sam had that nightmare when he was six."

"What nightmare?"

"Do you remember taking a trip to see Missouri Mosley when you were ten?" Gabriel quizzed.

"Yeah, Dad said he wanted some information on demons," Dean answered.

"That wasn't the reason. What happened was that Sammy boy had a nightmare and started a fire in the room you were at. John got so scared, he went to Ms. Mosley's to get 'help' in the form of herbs to keep Sam's powers dormant. She didn't want to give him anything but he insisted," Crowley revealed.

"That's why Sam's vitamins were different than mine and he had to take two," Dean guessed.

"Bingo," Gabriel said. "The question is now, what do you want to do?"

"I need to talk to Sam," Dean replied simply. "But I don't know if he's still around."

"He is and I can go get him if you want," Gabriel said.

"Yes…please," Dean said with his eyes down. He wasn't used to politely asking anything since he was a kid but for Sam, he would do anything.

"Well, I'm going to my charges," Crowley said before disappearing leaving Dean and Cas alone.

Dean looked at Cas awkwardly. What could he say to a friend who turned out to be the first parent of their family line? The first one to actually sacrifice himself for his children, just like John. After a few false starts, Dean finally opened his mouth only to shut it again. Clearing his throat, he finally said, "So, you're the one who started the whole sacrifice themselves for family members?"

"Uh, I guess so."

"You really couldn't give us a better legacy, like so handsome girls fall over us all the time?" Dean asked with a small smile.

Cas turned red then realized his friend/child was teasing him. "No," he said with his own small smile.

"Gotta tell ya, sucky gift," Dean said soberly. "First Mom, then Dad, then me. No wonder we're so screwed up but honestly, I can understand what you did a lot better. To try to save your family any way you can is something I grew up with."

Cas hung his head down then Dean continued, "Thanks, man. It's a good legacy to have, you know. Dad's wasn't too great if you think about it. Telling me that I needed to save Sam or kill him isn't something someone should be told before their parent dies. You, at least, stood by us and loved us, I can see that now. You are the most human of us all."

Cas looked up and smiled a little. Of everything his children went through because of his mistake, it was nice to hear gratitude when he didn't expect it. He opened his mouth to say something but Gabriel came back with Sam in tow. He looked at his child, noting how pale Sam was and how he kept his eyes on the floor.

"Sammy, Dean here wants to talk to you. Cas and I will be in the kitchen if you need anything. Please don't hurt or kill your brother. You know you will regret it in the morning," Gabriel said half joking. Then he gestured to his brother and led him out of the room, leaving the boys alone.

Sam stood in the doorway and Dean said, "Hey, man, take a seat." Sam just nodded then sat on the sofa. "Um, first of all, I'm sorry. I hurt you badly. Sure, there were times that I felt that you were a burden and nothing more than someone I had to protect but in my heart, you never were. I loved you from the time Mom put you in my arms and I never stopped. You were mine from that time until forever and I'll never give you up, no matter what.

"That being said, you were right, I have been a hypocrite about keeping secrets. You kept them for the same reason I kept mine, to protect someone I love. I was only scared for you since your secrets were hurting you and could have taken you away from me. The only reason I kept the last secret was that I was scared. Asmodeus told me that you would become like him when your powers fully awoke. He said you wouldn't be able to help it. Now, your powers are awake and I've been told you are a full-fledged Nephilim. Do you know how scared I am? I don't know who to believe, honestly. Gabriel? He like killed me over a hundred times and put us in T.V. Land to get us to play our roles. Crowley? He's the self-proclaimed King of Hell who is a freaking Angel, or so I am told. Cas? He's betrayed us, pulled down your wall and even became God for a while. You? You lied to me many times. Ruby, the demon blood, Azazel dripping blood in your mouth, even walking around without a soul or so we thought. How do I know that you won't turn evil? I've been told you won't unless it's your choice but with everyone telling me different things, I don't know who to trust anymore, who to believe…" Dean stopped, alarmed at his brother's reaction to his words.

Sam curled up in a tight ball on the couch. He started to keen softly and rock. "Sam…SAM!" Dean yelled. Gabriel ran into the room and, seeing Sam, went to the distressed young man.

"What the Hells did you say?" Gabriel demanded.

Dean just stood speechless then whispered, "I just was talking to him about who I could trust…"

"Crap! DAMN!" Gabriel cried. Dean cringed as the Archangel took deep breaths to calm himself down. Then, without a word, Gabriel got up and left the room. Dean was puzzled about his actions, sure that Gabriel would have smote him. After a couple of minutes, Gabriel came back and, looking down, he said, "Go to Sammy."

Dean was puzzled. It seemed as though Gabriel was talking to thin air until he heard breathing coming from the area beside his brother. Then, as he watched, Sam's hair seemed to move on it's own. A soft woof sounded from the air and Dean's breath started to hitch. A Hellhound! His worst nightmare near his baby brother and Gabriel brought it to him.

"She's not a Hellhound," Gabriel said, reading his mind. "She's a Celestial Hound, actually one of Al Rakim's bloodline."

"What's a Celestial Hound?" Dean whispered shakily. He was privately very glad he hadn't pissed his pants yet.

Gabriel went over to Sam and the dog. Taking a collar out of his pocket, he put it around the dog's neck and it became visible to Dean. A beautiful dog, white with gold and silver highlights. Not at all like the Hellhounds that had dragged him to Hell then prowled around his rack as Alastair tortured him. As Dean continued to stare at the dog, he realized that it was the same dog that was by his brother on the porch. Looking at Gabriel, he silently asked the Archangel to explain.

"Celestial Hounds are only seen by Demons, Angels and those they have bonded to, like Sam. The only reason you can see her now is that I put her collar on which makes her visible to anyone. They also can't ever serve anyone who is evil, they would tear that person apart first. So, this is your proof positive that your brother, Nephilim though he be, isn't evil nor will he ever be. Now, clean up your mess and get your brother feeling better," Gabriel said before leaving the three of them in the room together.

Dean was at a total loss. Yeah, he knew he had screwed up, he had done it in the past also but this reaction of Sam's was extreme. Then he figured out why. Sam's soul was still new and raw at the same time. He needed to treat his brother with kid gloves and have the biggest chick flick moment of his life. The dog watched him warily as he made his way over to his brother and sat down next to him. "Sam, I'm so sorry I hurt you again. I just let my tongue get the better of me. Just like Dad, huh? I meant it when I said that I'd never give you up. You are the best thing in my life, dude, don't you know that? My life isn't complete without you in it. I just had a hard time knowing who to believe with all the lies that had been told to me by Zachariah, Uriel and even Cas at one point. Asmodeus also told me things that scared me. I'm only human, you know. I have doubts and fears. A lot of them Alastair had drilled into me for thirty years. Then Dad's little legacy and his journals. God, Sammy, my head was so screwed around that I ended up doing what those douches wanted and that was to not trust you. Please forgive me, baby. I'm so sorry.

"You were the one I should have trusted implicitly. When I found out about Ruby and what was going on, I should have realized what hell you were going through when I was dead. You know Bobby actually tried to tell me but I didn't listen to him and I should have. I just didn't think that with Mom, Dad and me being dead how alone you would be. How totally dumb and unfeeling could I have been, right? I should have remembered how you were after Jess and Dad died. How broken you were. I should have remembered that after Jess, how you dedicated yourself to finding the Yellow-Eyed Demon just to get revenge. I knew I meant something to you but I just didn't know how much until now.

"Sammy, when we were in Heaven, I should have realized that we were in something that Zachariah had cooked up. When we saw Mom, that wasn't my best memory. It was terrible to be that young and afraid your parents were going to split up. I remember being terrified I would never see Dad again. I cried every night until he came home. That should have been a clue that we were being screwed with. I remember that Thanksgiving now. You had been left on your own because Dad wanted to go hunting with me. You screamed at him that you wanted to come but he still walked out on you. The fight you two had before you ran away to Flagstaff was one of the worst before the time you wanted to go to Stanford. Those also were clues to me if I had been smart enough to figure them out."

"You are smart, Dean," came the whisper from Sam. Dean was happy to find out his brother was listening to him but he still was cautious.

"Thank you, Sammy," Dean said. "I want to apologize to you for many things, not the least of which is my lack of trust in you. If there is anyone who should not be trusted, it's me."

"No…"

"Sammy, please. Let me finish, okay?" Sam nodded then Dean continued. "I kept secrets from you for years. You may have kept secrets too but you did it to protect me. You were right, you know, when you told me that I was weak that time we had the run-in with the Siren. I was but I didn't want to admit it. I was weak from the torture I endured. If I hadn't been weak, then I wouldn't want to listen to everybody but you. I was weak from being afraid that I would fail everybody…but you."

"You're not weak, Dean. You're the strongest person I know," Sam whispered. Dean felt a warmth in his heart that had been missing for a very long time.

"Thanks, Sammy. You know that's exactly what you are for me, too. The times you got hurt on the hunt or that you got sick, I would practically fall apart begging you to be all right. Whenever I got sick or hurt, you would be there, never leaving my side," Dean confessed.

Sam finally uncurled and looked at his brother, "Dean, you did the same thing for me. I remember when I was hurt from that werewolf hunt when we were younger. You practically tore that nurse's head off just because I hated my dinner. Dad had to calm you down but then you tore into him for me even being on that hunt."

Smiling, Dean put his arm around his brother then asked, "Can you ever forgive me Sam?"

"For what?"

Dean's mouth dropped open then, after a few false starts, he said, "For dragging you out of your real Heaven, for not believing you or trusting you, for sticking you with your damaged soul, for throwing away the best gift anyone could have gotten." Then he reached under his shirt to bring out the amulet that he had been wearing ever since the fight in Rufus' cabin. "I'll never take it off, baby brother. Never again." Then he reached into his pocket and brought out a small box. He looked at it for a minute then gave it to Sam. "This is a symbol of my love and trust in you. It was the only thing of Mom's that had survived. I found it in Dad's storage shed when we went there because of that damned rabbit's foot."

Sam opened the box and found a locket on a silver chain. The locket was carved with a protective sigil. When he opened it, he found a picture of four year old Dean and three month old Sam. Dean was holding baby Sam in his arms and there was a look of total love and devotion in his face. There was just one word engraved on the other side. It was soulmates. "I engraved that word before we got here," was all Dean said.

Sam smiled at his brother then he took the locket out of the box and put it on. Dean knew that, for everything he had ever done, Sammy loved him and forgiven him. Dean gathered his brother in his arms for a long overdue hug. They stayed that way for a very long time.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Asmodeus looked at the pitiful group in front of him, a couple of demons, a leviathan, and the Alpha vampire. He needed information and he got it. Part of it was that the apocalypse had been diverted by the Winchesters with the younger one trapping Lucifer and Michael in the Cage together. The leviathan had told him that Sam came back soulless and that Dean had Death put his brother's soul back into him but he was unstable because of it. The Alpha vampire confirmed that Dean was the one who kept Sam on a tight leash. He said that without his brother, Sam was bound to make bad decisions. He also was able to confirm that when the brothers were together, they were strong, so strong that they were able to defeat Eve and send her back to Purgatory.

Asmodeus waved the leviathan and the vampire away. He knew the demons could tell him more and they did. They told him how John Winchester was the first to be on Alastair's rack. Alastair wanted John to be the righteous man who spilled blood in Hell, breaking the first seal but John had been stronger than expected. Dean was actually the one to break that seal. They said that Ruby had poisoned Sam with her blood, making him pliable to killing Lilith but he resisted until Zachariah stepped in and gave Sam a small push. Sam killed Lilith thus breaking the last seal on the Cage, letting Lucifer out. The demons went on to say, that even with the strife the Angels created between the brothers, they still managed to defeat three of the Horsemen, getting their rings. Death actually gave Dean his ring to re-open the cage and toss Lucifer back in. Sam said yes and actually was able to get control of his body long enough to do just that. The demons said that he had spent one hundred eighty years being tortured by both Lucifer and Michael.

When they were done, Asmodeus dismissed them. He had a lot to think about, plans to make.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

There was something stirring up the Demons but whenever Crowley questioned them, they wouldn't say what was going on and that worried him. Hell never seemed so lonely, so far away from his brothers than it did then. It was also too dangerous for him to keep his charges there. He knew that he would have to move them but he honestly didn't know where he could put them unless it was with Gabriel. Even then, it would put Sam and Dean in danger. He needed advice so he called Gabriel.

"Hey, Crowley. What's up?" Gabriel asked answering his phone.

"I need to stash my charges somewhere. It's not safe here anymore," Crowley got straight to the point.

"What's wrong?"

"Honestly I don't know, just a feeling. Something's up down here, stirring up the riff-raff if you know what I mean," Crowley answered.

"How bad do you think it is?"

"It feels like it did when they were trying to get Lucifer loose."

"Oh, Father!"

"Yeah, so again do you have anywhere I can put Meg and Kevin?"

"I would say here but Dad hadn't updated my security yet. There is one place that is secure, though. We'll have to do some reconstruction but I think Bobby Singer's place is the safest there is," Gabriel said.

"Why there?"

"Dad put up some great security features on the property after Sam started his change. He said that He thought Sam might want to move back some day. He also said that Dean would need some protection also," Gabriel replied.

"When can we move there?" Crowley asked anxiously.

"Two days. It'll take that long to fix the house and yard then update all the sigils. We need to make sure Meg doesn't get stuck in any of the demon traps Bobby put up. Also, I want to make sure the house is stocked up. Do your charges have any preferences?" Gabriel asked.

"Kevin is a vegan so we need lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts and tofu. Meg is okay with everything. We'll also need books and other research material. Metatron sent a couple more slabs, one of which deals with Nephilim. Father listened to Samyaza before He changed him to Castiel. It should be helpful," Crowley said.

"Good. We'll need all the help and information we can get and by we I mean the Winchesters."

"Of course you do," Crowley quipped. Then he asked "What do you think is going on?"

"I think it's Asmodeus. I think he's trying to complete what his daddy began," Gabriel said with a sigh.

"Crap."

"Yeah."

"We need to tell the Winchesters and get them to the safe house where Sam can finish training. Right now he's vulnerable. Castiel also needs to be there. If Asmodeus finds out who he really is then his life is forfeit. Let me know when the place is done and I'll bring my two charges," Crowley said.

"That's a plan then. See you later, bro," Gabriel said before hanging up.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Asmodeus needed a few things to start his plan. One was Death bound and the other Horsemen back up and running. Another was Lilith but he knew it was going to be easy bringing her back. A third was a descendant of Samyaza but he figured he could use the same person Lucifer used before, Nick. A demon told him that Nick was a drooling mess in some hospital, again not a problem. Fourth, a righteous man spilling blood in Hell. That meant he would have to find John Winchester and put him back on the rack or get Dean to do it again. He may have to use someone else, though and finding someone would be a big pain. There was another person that would fit the bill, another descendant named James Murphy who was also in Heaven but that didn't stop Asmodeus from considering him. The fifth was that Sam would have to kill Lilith again. That would open the Cage and let both Lucifer and Michael out.

He started to have problems when he tried to bind Death. Death, it seemed, had changed the locks on that particular door. No matter what Asmodeus tried, he couldn't do it so he left that for Lucifer to do. He was just a Nephilim, after all, not an Archangel. The next problem he was having was to find a Temptress that would start Sam back on the dark path to killing Lilith. The demon, Ruby, was out since she was destroyed by the Winchesters with her own demon knife. After Ruby, Sam became very shy about trusting anyone with his heart. After a bit of thinking, Asmodeus came up with the perfect being for that particular problem-Dean. He was the only one that Sam allowed to get close to him anymore. Asmodeus chuckled. All he had to do was to put a Lust spell on Dean and let nature take its course. The men being soulmates would go a very long way to cementing their relationship. That would, unfortunately, leave Dean out for being the one to open the first seal. That came down to two candidates: John Winchester and James Murphy. Problem with them was that nobody knew where Winchester was and Murphy was in Heaven, heavily protected by his friends and Angels. He needed to talk to his father but again, nobody could tell him where Azazel was. Except for a lowly demon that had seen the whole thing. He had been one of those who had escaped when the Hell Gate was opened and he stayed behind to help the Lord Azazel whose presence he had felt in the graveyard.

"My Lord Asmodeus?" simpered the demon when summoned.

"Describe for me what you saw when the Hell Gate was opened," Asmodeus commanded.

"After the Gate was opened, Sam Winchester killed the one who had freed us and let Lilith walk on the Earth. The Lord Azazel appeared in front of Winchester and his brother with the desire to kill the older brother. From what was said, the older brother had sold his soul to get Winchester back from being dead. Lord Azazel asked the older brother if he wondered that what he had gotten back was one hundred percent Sam Winchester. When the older brother brought up a weapon, Lord Azazel threw him across the cemetery while pinning Winchester to a tree.

"What turned the tables was that the eldest Winchester had also escaped Hell and helped his sons by attacking the Lord, giving the older brother time to get to the weapon and shoot your father. That is what I saw," finished the demon.

"No weapon short of an Angelic blade could kill my father," Asmodeus whispered in a deadly tone.

"That's incorrect, my Lord. There was another weapon, a gun that killed your father. He is currently in Gehenna as we speak. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad new, my Lord," the demon quaked. He knew that Asmodeus was known as someone who liked to destroy those who gave him bad news.

Asmodeus didn't disappoint. Reaching out with his mind, he tore the demon into tiny bits. His father in Gehenna! Azazel was now irretrievable. "L…l…lord, your…sister…may have…information on …the…Winchesters," wheezed the pieces of demon. "Sh…sh…she has…been…detained by…Crowley."

"Sister? I have no sister any more. My sister was cast into Gehenna during the War," Asmodeus growled.

"N…n…no, sire. You d…d…do have a s…s…s…sister. Lord Azazel had…had…had married a human four hundred y…y…years ago and adopted her…her…her children. A b…b…boy and a g…g…girl, psychics…" garbled the demon, choking on its own bile.

"Hmmm and who is this Crowley?"

"K…k…k…king of Hell," informed the demon. "H…h…h…he also h…h…h…has a Prophet."

Asmodeus smiled at that tidbit of information. Problem solved regarding the first seal. Now all he had to do was to acquire the Prophet and show him what a rack was for.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Dean was watching his brother doing his lessons. Gabriel was very emphatic that Sam needed someone around him when he practiced his powers. Cas was there but Dean was essential to the lessons, he was told. Instead of being afraid of his baby brother's powers like he was when Ruby was training Sam, Dean found he was proud of him for everything he had accomplished. The mind was a muscle and each power exercised that mind. Sam had great control on his pyrokinesis while he could lift and throw around one thousand pounds with his telekinesis. When he started to get precog powers, Castiel taught him how to encourage the visions instead of fighting them. Cas said that the visions would come in handy in future hunts. Sam's telepathy was freaky to say the least but Dean was the one who helped him to build wall to keep unwanted thoughts out. He also was the one that helped Sam learn how to send thoughts to his chosen target. Dean learned to keep his mind open but also how to keep some things locked away that he didn't want Sam knowing. Privacy was a big thing that Sam had to learn, he said.

Honesty was also something everyone was open with these days. Cas' memories were coming fast and furious. He needed to talk about his past and his mistakes. He also liked the "children", as he called them, to come to him with any problems. Unlike their father, Cas loved the guys talking about their feelings. He said that everyone needed a sounding board every now and then. He also started to fuss about their sleeping and eating habits. Dean, he said, needed to sleep more and Sam needed to eat. He also insisted on family nights where they would play games, watch movies and generally have a good time. Cas taught the boys some games he had played with his family and they found that they had a great time. Sam actually loved the games since he still was "growing up" as Gabriel put it and Dean found that they filled a hole in him that he didn't even know he had.

Gabriel, after hearing from Crowley, told his household that they believed that Asmodeus was going to try to open the Cage again to let Lucifer and Michael out for the apocalypse. "There is one place on this Earth that Asmodeus would never be able to enter," Gabriel finally said after watching the boys pale. "It is actually part of your ancestral home, one that Samyaza had raised his children on. Dad had updated all the protections on it and nobody, Demon, Angel or Nephilim, will be able to cross it's boundaries without express permission from Dad, Cas, Crowley or myself."

"Where is it?" Sam asked while slipping Tabitha a piece of toast.

"Bobby Singer's place," Gabriel said.

"Wait, what?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Have you ever heard of Pangaea?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah, wasn't that the supercontinent that had started to break up around two hundred million years ago?" Sam responded.

"Yes but remember time as you know it is a manmade thing. The continent, despite all the evidence left for science to find, actually broke up during the Great Deluge. Bobby's Salvage Yard is actually part of Samyaza's home. You being there will enact some very old protections and those along with the updated ones make that piece of Earth the most protected place. We have fixed the house and garage but have moved all the old wrecks off the property. This house is also very protected so we are moving it onto the property for Meg and Kevin's use…"

"Meg and Kevin?" Dean asked.

"They are Crowley's charges and, if news of who they are reaches Asmodeus, their lives will be forfeit," Gabriel explained. "Since this house doesn't have all the demon traps that Bobby's does, it makes more sense for them to move in here while we move into the other house. But they will be connected in case of emergencies."

It was a couple of days after that meeting that Dean and Sam woke up in their old room in Bobby's house. Looking out of the window, Dean saw the Yard with the Impala parked next to the Garage. His throat closed up as he remembered the man who was a second father to him and his brother. The man who died for them then stuck around instead of going on to his rest.

Shaking his head, Dean went to the bathroom for a shower and shave. When he got out, he went to the kitchen where he found that Cas had made them breakfast. Sam was already there enjoying some chocolate chip pancakes. When they were through with breakfast and had cleaned the dishes, Dean went out to check on the Impala while Sam took Tabby for a walk. While Dean was cleaning the car out, Kevin and a small, dark-haired woman came over to say hello. Dean looked at the woman with interest then asked, "Where's Meg?"

Kevin just shook his head and nodded at the woman. Dean's eyes got large. The woman said then, "Hello, I'm Nina. What's your name?"

Dean cleared his throat and said, "Dean."

"Can you tell me where I am? I can't find my mother or brother around and I'm worried that the Dominicans will be looking for mother. She's supposed to be getting married soon or else she'll lose all her property," the young woman said nervously.

"Maybe Crowley can help you with that," Kevin said gently. He guided her back to the house then returned to a very confused Dean. "Sorry but I couldn't have to say you anything to her. That's Meg or who she had been before Azazel got hold of her. Gabriel and Crowley both helped to give her her humanity. Apparently, since she was very young when Azazel had corrupted her and her brother, God had decided to give her a second chance. Her real name is Nina Valente and she was born a psychic during the Spanish Inquisition. Crowley gave me the rundown before we got here. He also wanted to let you know that she is no longer a demon. Her actions towards Cas when he was sick also went a long way for her redemption."

"I'm glad she was rewarded. I really hated to think that she was in Hell being tortured because she helped us and Cas," Dean said.

"Me too. Hey, where's Sam?" Kevin asked. "I understand he got a Celestial Hound and I wanted to check it out."

"Sammy and Tabby are taking a walk. They're out in the back and Sammy's having fun watching Tabby playing," Dean said unconsciously.

"Uh, Dean? How do you know Sam's having fun? Have you seen them lately?" Kevin quizzed.

Dean stopped and said with trepidation, "No, I haven't."

"I've been reading about Nephilim, Dean, and soulmates. If a soulmate is Nephilim, from what Metatron had written, the other will be too," Kevin revealed. "From what you just said, I would say that your first power is and always has been empathy." Then he walked away leaving an astounded Dean behind.

As he thought about it, Dean realized that he had always known when Sam was sick, hurt or scared but he had thought it was their bond of brotherhood. Now, he knew that it was because he, too, was a Nephilim. What would have John done if he knew that both of his sons had powers, he wondered grimly. No doubt Dean would have been treated the same way as Sam. Then he remembered his natural ability for the hunt, with great eye/hand coordination and his way with the opposite sex. Now he needed to know if his powers would also grow, like Sam's did and the only ones who could answer that was Gabriel or Cas.

As his brother's emotions flowed over Dean, he decided to wait before going in to quiz the Archangel and the Prefect. First, he was going to enjoy the pure happiness that Sam was feeling.


	4. Chapter 4

_Unconditional love is love that is given whether it is returned or not. Donald Oakley _

_In our imaginations, we believe that love is apart from us. Actually there is nothing but love, once we are ready to accept it. When you truly find love, you find yourself. Deepak Chopra_

Chapter Three

_As his brother's emotions flowed over Dean, he decided to wait before going in to quiz the Archangel and the Prefect. First, he was going to enjoy the pure happiness that Sam was feeling. _

It took Dean a few days to get used to the idea that he also had powers, just like Sam. When he began to learn how to use them, he started to understand what had happened when Sam had been able to vanquish demons with his mind when he was with Ruby. It was intoxicating to say the very least. Gabriel and Castiel both helped to keep him grounded by reminding him that power is very easy to abuse. Sam was able to help Dean build walls to keep his empathy, and his telepathy when it started to develop, from overwhelming him. Dean found out how much of a temptation it was to read his brother's mind to find out what kind of secrets he was still keeping but Dean didn't give in.

Dean's strength multiplied and he found that he also was developing telekinesis. He was excited about getting other powers but Gabriel warned him that he may never have all the powers Sam did or at the same strength. When Dean asked why, Gabriel said it was because of the blood Azazel had fed Sam as a baby. Even though he was a demon, Azazel was also a Fallen Angel and when he bled into the infant's mouth, it was still Angelic blood. It had been used to keep Sam's powers asleep, but it was also a catalyst that had increased his powers' strength. Dean felt disappointed but Castiel assured him that the powers of a Nephilim, like Dean, were more powerful than any demon existing. They had slightly less power than their Angelic parent. Dean wondered that, since Cas had been promoted, if their powers were slightly less than an Archangel.

"No, you have the slightly less powers of Samyaza, who was the leader of the Prefects of the Grigori. His powers were not the same as an Archangel, they were different. You and Sam have those kinds of powers," Gabriel explained.

"The Grigori were part of the Dominions," Castiel said joining in the conversation. "We were not part of the regular Angelic hierarchy."

"Um, I'm confused. What do you mean by Angelic hierarchy and who are the Dominions?" Dean asked.

"Usually humans are not given specifics of how we are grouped in Heaven," Gabriel began. "But you need to understand more than the usual stuff told to humans. We have three spheres in Heaven in which three different groups or choirs of Angels are associated with. These groupings are called triads."

"So, each sphere has a triad?" Dean asked to clarify.

"Yes," Cas said. "The first sphere is the home of the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones. The Seraphim are also called the Burning Ones. They protect the Throne of our Father. The Cherubim have four faces and also protect the Throne…"

"Wait, Zachariah once told me and Sam he had four faces. Does that mean he was one of the Cherubim?" Dean wondered.

"Yes, but his was an unusual case since he was working with Michael trying to get you to say yes. Cherubim don't work with humans as a matter of course," Cas explained. Then he went on, "The Thrones embody God's Justice. Within that group is a subgroup of specialists known as the Ophanim also known as the Wheels."

Gabriel picked up the lesson from there, "The second sphere is the home of the Dominions, Virtues and Powers. The Dominions are known as the Lordships or Leaders. One of the reasons that the Grigori got the assignment to walk among humans is that the Dominions look like humans just with wings."

"So when Cas said that Sam looked just like he did when he was Samyaza, he didn't mean his vessel but _himself_?" Dean asked.

"Yes, I meant the way I used to look before Father changed me," Cas said.

Gabriel grinned then went on, "The Virtues, also known as Strongholds, are in charge of the movements of the Celestial Bodies. In other words, they make sure the sun rises and sets among other things. Then there are the Powers who are warrior Angels. They are in charge of giving and administrating power among nations and individuals."

"In the third sphere, which most humans would mistake as the lowest sphere, you have the Principalities, Archangels and Angels. These groups work with humans the most. They are the Divine Messengers and Protectors," Cas picked up the lesson. "The Principalities work closely with the Powers and watch over the groups that the Powers have granted power to. The Archangels are the most powerful of all of Father's children since they are what you would call the first born. Each of them has their own 'job' so to speak. Gabriel is the Voice of God, a messenger who brings the word of God to the humans. Michael, as you know, is a leader and warrior while Raphael was a healer among other things. Lucifer used to be an Archangel before he Fell. There are others in that group. Chamuel, Jophiel, and Zadkiel are also Gabriel's brothers. There is another Archangel whom most confuse with Lucifer and that's Samael who is the Angel of Death. He works closely with Death himself and isn't found in Heaven. Humans have for a very long time believed that Uriel was an Archangel but that isn't so."

"The third group in that sphere are the Angels. They intercede and are Dad's messengers," Gabriel started to wind down the lesson. "This group is also responsible for protecting, guiding and inspiring humans. It's where guardian Angels come from. In this group are also specialists, those responsible for love, healing and abundance to name a few things. When Cas got demoted, he went from Dominion to Angel. Anna, Uriel, and Rachel were all Angels while Balthazar and Virgil were actually part of the Powers."

"But wasn't Balthazar part of your Garrison?" Dean asked confusedly.

"Yes but you have to understand that each Garrison would have a mix of all the choirs except for the Dominions and those of the First Sphere. When Uriel started to Fall, he went among the Garrison looking for those who agreed with his views. Those that didn't, he killed. It was strategic for him to go after those who outranked him first and get rid of them.

"The Dominions are actually outside the hierarchy even though they are part of the second sphere. They are given special assignments and are usually found among humans, like the Grigori once was." Cas finally finished but Dean had one other question.

"You keep saying words like once and were. What happened to them?" Dean asked.

"We fell in love with human women and had families. Because we wanted to protect our children and mates, we did things that caused some of us to be killed and others were punished for what they did. A few even were condemned to Hell, like Azazel. The few that were left in the Grigori were absorbed by the Dominions and our 'family' was destroyed. Dean, I don't regret having a family or being punished for what I did. I loved my wife and children, still do to this day. You and Sam are my children and I will die again for you," Cas got up, gave Dean a kiss on his forehead then disappeared.

"You'll have to forgive him," Gabriel said. "It's hard for him to remember all his friends and brothers who are now gone just because they became like the humans they were observing. Hey, why don't you go and practice your telekinesis for a while. I'll let you know when it's time to eat."

Dean nodded. He wanted to think about what he had been told. He knew now how much Samyaza had sacrificed for the love of his family and his respect for Castiel increased.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Asmodeus was getting frustrated. He was able to resurrect Lilith but that was all so far. When he sent demons to get Meg, they came back saying that the Prophet and his sister were no longer in Hell. He tore those demons apart for bringing him that news. Alastair, who was still recovering from Sam's attack, was able to tell Asmodeus how they broke Dean but not John. Dean, he said, was helped along by some of Zachariah's Angels who would give Dean hallucinations about Sam being tortured. When they had first done that to John, the Angels found that they had done their job too well on the human for him to be lured off the rack. He just didn't care enough about his son to take Alastair's offer but Dean did. It was because of the hallucinations that Dean finally took Alastair's offer and broke the first seal. Alastair said that it took just a day to break Dean and he believed it was because the Winchester boys were soulmates. Asmodeus nodded, he had seen that connection when he was in Dean's mind. He put that bit of information aside for future consideration.

Alastair also told Asmodeus something else that threw his idea out for using the Prophet as the righteous man. It seemed that Kevin Tran couldn't be used since he wasn't of Samyaza's blood line. That left only John, who wouldn't do it the first time and James Murphy who, it was discovered, was being protected by the Dominions. It made him impossible to retrieve by any means except a full-scale attack on Heaven and Asmodeus didn't have that kind of army yet.

Right now, the only thing he had going for him was the lust spell he had put on Dean in Purgatory. He was really surprised that Gabriel hadn't picked up on his little slip of the tongue but then his father said Gabriel wasn't the brightest of the Archangels, being just the mouthpiece of God without a thought of his own. Asmodeus smiled then decided to turn up the heat on the lust Dean had for his brother now. Hopeful that it would lead Dean to do something that would finally break his soulmate bond with Sam thus putting the apocalypse back on track.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Dean didn't know when he started to hang around Sam, sticking to him like they were glued together. He started to watch his brother's every move, listen to everything Sam said but because he had done that when they were kids, he really didn't think there was anything wrong. He didn't even think there was a problem when he started to stalk his own brother. Dean began to sit outside the bathroom when Sam was taking a shower or taking care of business. As the spell increased in strength, Dean found himself becoming jealous of anyone Sam talked to whether it was Gabriel, Cas, Kevin, Crowley or, heaven forbid, Nina. Whenever Sam talked to someone other than Dean, Dean would stand behind his brother and glare at the other person. Nina and Kevin were very uncomfortable but the three Angels took it in stride. It wasn't until he and Sam were sparring that he knew something was very wrong. Looking down at his pinned brother, Dean felt an overwhelming urge to tear his clothes off. He sprung away from Sam and ran. He needed to talk to someone about what was going on with him but he was very embarrassed. Cas had been watching his sons and decided that he needed to step in when he saw the way Dean looked at Sam.

Approaching the subject carefully, he sat next to Dean one day. As they watched Sam practice his pyrokinetics with Gabriel, Cas said, "He's doing very well, don't you think?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Dean answered absently.

"How are you doing in your studies?" Castiel asked even though he knew Dean was doing very well.

"Okay, I guess," was the vague answer.

"I believe you need to study with Kevin. He has some very interesting tablets on soulmates and Nephilim. It is very heartening that my Father listened to me before my punishment," Cas said.

"Uh"

"Dean, there seems to be something bothering you. You know you can tell me anything and I will keep it between us," Cas offered.

Dean's mind was jumbled. He wanted to talk about what he was doing but he didn't want his new father figure/friend to be disgusted with him. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times but nothing came out of it. Cas, sensing his distress, decided to meet the problem head on.

"Dean, did you know that Asmodeus is one of the nine Lords of Hell? His specialty is Lust," Cas said.

"Like what Famine did to those people?" Dean asked with interest.

"No, what Famine did was to amplify the desires that people had. Like Sam with the bloodlust or Jimmy with his love of red meat. What Asmodeus does is even more insidious. He twists a good feeling or emotion and makes it dark, dangerous. When a person loves another, it is a good feeling. They want to be around that person all the time and make that person happy. Lust is self-serving. The feelings of the other person isn't taken into account and can be hurt if they do not reciprocate the emotion of the person who is infected with lust," Cas explained.

"What can a person do if they were infected with lust?" Dean asked in a very small voice.

"Lust can be overcome with true love," Cas said. "If you want to break lust's grip, you can try to win the person over but always let them be able to say no if that relationship isn't something they want. You would need to respect their wishes, even if it is the hardest thing to do."

"What if," Dean began in a whisper, "the person lusts after say, a brother or sister?"

Cas was very happy that Dean trusted him to come out with his pain. He knew that he would have to handle it very carefully. Drawing on his newly acquired memories, he said, "In the early days of humans, it wasn't uncommon for brother to marry sister since very few humans were around. It wasn't until the humans were greater in numbers that it was decided that that kind of relationship was to be discouraged. Now, only a very few are allowed to have that kind of relationship and that's only because of special circumstances, say if they were soulmates."

"What?" Dean asked.

Cas smiled and went on with his explanation, "Souls do not have DNA nor do they have sexes. Their vessels are the only things with those particular features. True soulmates usually are not born to the same families but when it happens, they do have a tendency to be in a relationship. When you throw in another special circumstance, say if they were Nephilim, then the relationship is almost assured. It is a very large and frightening step, though, since they would have grown up in a society that says that incest is illegal and very wrong. They would even try to fight their feelings by trying to love another person but they would always return to the person they were meant to be with."

"Like what happened with Lisa?" Dean wondered out loud.

"Just like that. It is not to say you didn't genuinely love Lisa. But when Sam came back in your life, your soul wouldn't allow you to be with her anymore. You were pulled in the direction of your brother. You had sacrificed your life for him in more ways that most and that just cemented what you two mean to each other. For Sam, those four months you were in Hell, even the four years he was in college, were the worst times for him. He had lost a part of himself and was in a kind of hell of his own. When he was with Jessica, he loved her but not as deeply as he has always loved you. Like Lisa for you, she was just a substitution for what he felt he couldn't have. Part of the guilt he felt over her death was because of that feeling," Cas said.

Dean looked at his father/friend in awe. He never really understood why Jess' death had affected Sam so badly until now. He also didn't understand his own feelings of guilt and remorse over his and Lisa's breakup. He felt as though he had found the missing pieces to a puzzle he had been trying to complete for so very long. "How did you get Adineal to love you?" Dean asked hoping his friend remembered.

Cas smiled with the memories of his first and most beloved wife. "I actually didn't do anything, not really. When I first saw her, I thought she was perfect, the most beautiful being in all of Creation other than my Father. In those days, it was more common and the correct thing to do to approach the woman's parents if you wanted to marry her. I had to spend many months working for her father and the only way I could actually talk to Adineal was with chaperones all around us. At first, she was very shy but after a while, her beautiful green eyes sparkled every time we met. When we finally did get married, it was the best day of my life, second only to the births of our children, right down to our youngest."

"Cas, how do I get Sam to…well…you know, love me like that?" Dean asked hesitantly. It felt weird asking a friend whom he had thought was a virgin up until very recently. Now he was asking for dating tips.

"You can't get anyone to love you but you can show them that you love them by doing little things for them, by being there for them and by just talking to them. Sam needs to talk but you don't like what you call chick flick moments. You will need to change that, change yourself for him if you are very serious about pursuing a relationship with him. Two biggest things you need to know about successful relationships are you can't change your partner, only yourself and keep honest communications open between the two of you. Everything else falls into place if the relationship is meant to be," Cas glanced up and saw Gabriel motioning to him. He got up and gave Dean a pat on the shoulder before walking away.

Gabriel had stopped the lesson with Sam when he had gotten a call from Crowley saying they needed to meet immediately. There had been some developments and he needed the others to know about them. Crowley also said that another would be joining their meeting. When Cas caught up with Gabriel, they walked to the small building they used now for special meetings.

Entering the building, they were surprised at the other being at their meeting. Death, it seemed had some news for them and he wanted to deliver it himself instead of entrusting it to one of his reapers. "I gather you know that that infant, Asmodeus, is trying to restart the apocalypse?" Death asked while calmly eating a deep-fried mozzarella stick.

"Yeah, we know. We just don't know how far he's gotten," Gabriel said, acting as spokesman for the group.

"He has already tried to bind me," Death replied. "It failed since I asked God to change the locks, so to speak. He has raised Lilith but so far, that's it. I have heard he wants to find a righteous man of Samyaza's line to break the first seal." Cas became agitated at the thought of one of his children tortured like Dean had been. "What he doesn't know is that the first seal has been broken for a couple of years now."

"What do you mean?" Cas asked losing all color to his vessel's face.

"When Sam and Adam were in the Cage with Lucifer and Michael, Sam was on the rack that Lucifer had made," Death said grimly. "Adam was given a chance to torture Sam. Lucifer and Michael both told that young man that Sam was the reason he was there and not in Heaven like Michael promised. It drove Adam to an anger so righteous that he tortured Sam for years, breaking the first seal. In fact, when I went to get Sam's soul, Adam was torturing him and it was Michael who got that poor soul off the rack and away from his brother. Michael was the one who handed me that tattered thing to bring back. He had been trying to protect Sam from both of their brothers but they would, how would you say, double team him and drag Sam to the rack."

"Does Sam remember this?" Gabriel asked with a tremor in his voice.

"He remembers everything about his time in the Cage," Death said matter of factly.

"Do you think he knows that he was part of the first seal this time?" Gabriel wanted to know.

"That I cannot tell you except to say that he thought that the apocalypse couldn't be restarted now that Michael and Lucifer are in the Cage," Death answered. "The point is if Asmodeus figures out that the first seal has been broken, he will not hesitate to go after the other sixty five needed. I really don't want to be bound to that child again. It was unpleasant in the first place and my brothers made it even more unpleasant. That brings me to another point. Do you still have the other rings?"

Cas remembered where Dean had hidden them and said, "Yes, they are hidden on this property."

"You may want to secure them better. If Lucifer is let loose once again, he will come for the rings and there will be nothing your Nephilim, Prophet or psychic can do about it except to die," Death was calm. He started to sip on a large soda then, taking the straw out of his mouth, he said, "God wanted me to give you a couple of gifts from Him. When I asked if I looked like a messenger boy, He said that since I was coming to this meeting, He figured that I could deliver them." Death reached over and touched Castiel's head. Cas glowed for a minute then Death smiled a very rare smile. When the glow finally died down, Death explained, "God decided that, for your devotion to your family that the Grigori would be brought back through you. You are now back to your old position with all your original powers. Others will follow but you are the first." Then Death beckoned someone who stood in the shadows of the room. The being came closer to the table and the Angels (who denied ever doing something so human) dropped their jaws on the floor in shock as Bobby Singer stood before them looking a bit confused. "God said that he will be able to help in the coming days," Death said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Um, not that we aren't grateful, but doesn't bringing Bobby back throw the whole Grand Scheme off?" Crowley asked after regaining his voice.

"No since he has been dead for a much longer time and it won't affect the people around him," Death explained. "Besides, he is actually my agent in these matters but he isn't a reaper. He has powers of an Angel since he is connected directly to me. Robert is here to help." Death stood up and gave an ironic bow before disappearing.

"What have you idjits been doing since I've been dead?" Bobby asked a bit loudly.

The three Angels looked at each other wondering where to start.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

After the meeting with his brothers, Crowley went back to Hell. He was worried about the incursions that Asmodeus had some demons do in his private domain. He knew the Nephilim was looking for Meg and Kevin and was very glad he moved his charges to the safety of Samyaza's home but he also knew that it was just a matter of time before Asmodeus came himself to demand the release of his sister. When Crowley got to the throne room, he found that Asmodeus was there, waiting for an audience.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Crowley asked snidely.

"I've come to ask a boon from the King of Hell," Asmodeus said oily.

"Ask but that doesn't mean I'll grant your request," Crowley answered.

"I understand my father adopted a daughter some years ago. I would like to meet her and, if she is agreeable, to have her move to my home," Asmodeus requested.

"Um…no. She defied me and tried to depose me. I have every right to punish Meg as I see fit."

"But, she is the daughter of my father. That gives me the right to take her into my house. If you need her punished, I can do that for you."

Crowley was very glad he was known as the Prince of Lies. He was very good at his job and the only ones who could see through him now were his brothers, Bobby Singer and the Winchesters. "Actually, you are too late. I've already chopped her into very small bits and fed her to my hounds. You remember them, don't you?" Asmodeus went pale at the mention of the Hell Hounds. While other demons raised them, Crowley was known to raise the more vicious ones that even Azazel or Alastair wouldn't fool with. "So if you will excuse me, I have souls to torture," Crowley said then he waited until Asmodeus stormed out of the room. Sighing, he waited until he was sure the Nephilim was out of hearing range, then he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. Hitting Gabriel's number, he put a privacy dome around the room. When Gabriel answered, all Crowley said was, "Asmodeus tried to get Meg. Beware and be careful."

When Asmodeus left the Throne Room of Hell, he was extremely angry. The interview had gone just the way he feared it would. He had hoped, though, that Crowley would have taken his rank into account before he responded but the King of Hell answered quickly and with a finality in his voice. Asmodeus knew that the only way he would get his adopted sister would be to find the Hell Hounds that Crowley had fed her to and cut them open but, to him, she wasn't really important enough to him to go through all that trouble. His real goal was to find the Prophet. Even though he couldn't use him as the righteous man, Asmodeus wanted him since he could read the Word of God. The Nephilim wanted the power that came from those Words, especially where it involved the apocalypse. He knew a lot but didn't have the knowledge his father did. He wanted to be successful where his father's plans had failed but, without knowledge, he too would fail or so he feared.

When he got back to his rooms, he found Lilith waiting for him. She had a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye, "My Lord, I have good news for you," she said.

Asmodeus waved her on and she spoke again, "The first seal had been broken a while ago."

"What? How did it happen and how do you know?" Asmodeus was floored.

"The first seal broke when Adam Milligan, the vessel of Michael, tortured his brother, Sam Winchester, while they were both in the Cage with our Lord Lucifer and his brother, Michael," Lilith revealed. "I heard about it from the Keeper of the Cage who witnessed the act."

Asmodeus smiled. He would be questioning the Keeper and, if it was proven to be true, the first part of his plan had been completed.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

One Week Later-

Bobby was definitely getting the hang of things around his house again. There had been the shocks that the Angels had told him about: Sam and Dean being Nephilim, Cas' true identity, Crowley's true identity, Meg actually being given back her old life as Nina Valente, Gabriel being alive, and then there was Tabitha. Bobby had always loved dogs but after Dean had been killed by the Hell Hound, he stopped keeping them since Dean was nervous around them. Not that he blamed the boy but it was a sacrifice on his part because he loved the Winchester boys, had always thought of them as his kids. Tabitha was beautiful and, he found out, dedicated to Sam with a possessive nature.

When he first met her, Tabitha gave him a look that said, "If you hurt my friend, I'll hurt you." Bobby asked Dean if that was normal for her and he said it was. Tabitha was very protective of Sam, Gabriel had told him, ever since she had met him while he was in distress. The first morning after Bobby got back, Tabitha heard him in the kitchen making breakfast. Since she didn't have her collar on, she was invisible but that didn't stop her from going to the kitchen to get the hunter to give her something to eat. When Sam and Dean woke up to Bobby yelling, they ran to the kitchen to see the hunter backed into a corner looking like he was ready to have a heart attack. Poor Tabitha tried to get him to calm down by licking his face but Bobby just got more terrified. Sam saw the problem and called her to him while Dean went to Bobby to calm him down. It was then that the boys explained that Tabitha was a Celestial Hound, not a Hell Hound and she really liked him. Dean made him feel better by saying that if he was evil, she would have torn him apart instead of licking him to death. It took Bobby a few more days to stop jumping anytime he saw Sam's dog.

Bobby also watched his boys as they began to work on their new relationship. Dean started by talking to Sam more. He opened up about his feelings and encouraged his brother to do the same. Dean also talked more about what happened to him in Hell, trying to get Sam to open up about his own experiences. Dean knew Sam was still having multiple nightmares and had to keep drinking the hot chocolate before he went to sleep otherwise the room would suffer damage. The only time Sam forgot his nightly drink, Dean woke up to fire dancing around their beds. Gabriel rushed in then and put out the fire then snapped up a sippy cup full of hot chocolate. He then gave it to Dean to feed to Sam who took some time to calm down. For the rest of that night, Dean and Tabitha slept in Sam's bed that had been enlarged by Gabriel to hold all three of them. After that night, it was found that Sam no longer needed the drink if Dean and Tabitha slept with him. Not that the nightmares stopped but he seemed to have better control if the other two were with him.

Dean also started to do small things for his brother that touched Sam's heart. He stopped drinking and eating a lot of red meat since those had been some of Sam's worries about his brother. Dean no longer left his stuff laying around but put them away because Sam would get pissed about tripping over them or because he had to put them away. Then Dean began to buy Sam small items he knew his brother loved like gummi bears, books or even a cd with his favorite music. Dean also started to touch his brother more, giving hugs and pets when Sam seemed down or even small kisses and praises when they trained with their new powers.

At first, Dean's behavior confused Sam. Dean loved him and had taken care of him for all of his life but this new behavior was different. Sam knew that Dean was changing to fit all his wants but he couldn't figure out why, he just knew it felt nice. It wasn't until his soul went through what Cas called puberty that he figured it out. Unlike when he through it the first time, Sam didn't freak out about his feelings, he just went with them. When he was growing up, he had a crush on his brother that had scared him. Especially when John figured it out and practically disowned him for them saying that Sam was a pervert for even thinking about his brother is a sexual manner. John then began to "train" Sam harder than he had before saying that if Sam was tired then he wouldn't have time for any filthy thoughts about his brother. This time, when he started to crush on Dean, he felt safe enough to talk to Cas about his feelings. Sam was told that they were perfectly normal for soulmates and, in fact, they were okay to have. After he got Cas' approval about his feelings, Sam started to reciprocate Dean's actions. He, too, started to change some of his behaviors for his brother and began to talk about his time in the Cage.

Both Winchesters were afraid of what Bobby would say so they tried to keep their new relationship secret but the older hunter saw what they hoped he wouldn't see. When he realized the boys were heading to a sexual relationship, he talked to both Cas and Gabriel about it. He wasn't upset since he had seen the signs when the boys were younger but he was worried about what the others thought. He had been assured that neither Angel would stand in their way to true love and, if they ended up mating, there would be no repercussions. Bobby then started to encourage the relationship he saw developing. He made sure the boys had space to work on it and that they knew they could go to him if they needed to talk. He told them both that he wouldn't judge them for their love. Both Sam and Dean were very relieved at Bobby's attitude.

Bobby also got to know Kevin and Nina, becoming like a second father to the both of them in a very short period of time. Kevin, he found, was a shy young man who was, like Sam, very intelligent. He had been applying to some of the Ivy Leagues when the Leviathans had kidnapped him. Since he had been with Crowley, though, he had been taking college courses from Yale through the computer and getting top grades. Nina, on the other hand, was somewhat like Meg and yet so very innocent. Bobby was told how her mother had to marry another man soon after her father was executed in an auto-de-fe during the Spanish Inquisition. Nina and her brother were powerful psychics that Azazel wanted to corrupt so he married their mother when Nina was only seven years old. Almost immediately, Azazel started to twist their souls to something that would someday become demons who would help him begin the apocalypse. When Nina was eleven, the Dominicans came and arrested her and her family, except for Azazel who promptly disappeared. Nina and her brother died during Questioning while their mother was burned for being a heretic. Crowley said that, because of her age, Nina never had a choice about who to believe in or what she was to become so, after her actions with Cas she was given a second chance. Crowley also said that some of her personality would come back since she had it for hundreds of years but that it would balance out her innocence thus making it harder for anyone else to corrupt her again. He also said that her psychic powers would make a comeback and she would be very powerful so he was training her to use them.

Bobby talked to Crowley about Kevin and Nina moving into the larger house saying that it would be safer for the group to be in one place. Nina, when the plan was presented to her, said that it wouldn't be proper for her to live with unrelated men but Crowley said that she was to treat the humans and Nephilim as her brothers and uncle. He also reassured her that with Gabriel staying in the house, there would be no hanky-panky going on. When Dean heard what Crowley said, he blushed because he was thinking of some "hanky-panky" with his brother. Crowley just laughed and said that if they got that far in their relationship they needed to make sure their bedroom was sound-proofed so Nina wouldn't be uncomfortable.

Everything was going fine until a few days after the others moved into the house. It was then that they heard on the news three classrooms of children had been killed by a lone gunman. Sixty six children had died during the assault. When Gabriel heard that he knew that Asmodeus found out about the first seal being broken. Now he had to tell the group but he didn't know how Sam was going to take it, especially if Lucifer managed to escape the Cage again.

"Uh, I think that the Seals are being broken again," Gabriel started. Sam turned pale. He remembered what happened to him in the Cage and he knew now that when Adam tortured him, the first Seal broke. He felt guilty that he was once again involved in breaking one of the main seals and he didn't know if he would lose Dean over that.

"I thought a righteous man had to draw blood in Hell for the first Seal to be broken before any of the others could be done," Dean said confusedly. Sam started to breathe hard and Cas, noting that the young man was distressed, sat next to him and started to stroke his back.

"It had been broken for years," Gabriel said.

"What do you mean? I haven't been in Hell again and…was it Dad? Or Sam when he was in the Cage?" Dean asked.

Sam was the one who answered in a low whisper, "It…it…it was Adam who broke the first Seal. Oh, God Dean, it was Adam."

"But Adam was in the Cage with you and the two douche-bag Archangels. Who could he have tortured…?" Dean's eyes went wide as he realized part of what happened to Sam in the Cage.

Sam curled up in a small ball and whispered his explanation, "They told him I was the one to blame for him being in Hell and not with his mom in Heaven. They would harp on that for years until one day he got so mad that when they put me on the rack he was the one who cut me open…" Sam couldn't say anything else, so wrapped up in his fear and memories that he was struck dumb.

Seeing his beloved in distress, Dean went and sat down next to him. Putting his arms around his brother, Dean whispered, "It wasn't your fault, Sammy. Do you hear me? It wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong…"

"Except I ruined Adam's Heaven by pulling him into the Cage," Sam finished.

"No, baby, you didn't. He had free will and he agreed to let Michael use him as a vessel. They both thought you wouldn't fight Lucifer and they would kill you but that didn't happen. You saved the world by fighting and winning against the devil, baby. You did the right thing. I was so proud of you when you ended the apocalypse, even if it hurt like hell thinking that I would never see you again. You are the strongest person I have ever known, even stronger than Michael.

"I remember seeing Michael coming back and still wanting to fight his brother like a little kid who wanted a toy and not taking no for an answer. You were stronger, Cas was stronger and even Gabriel was stronger than the first born of the Archangels. I am very lucky to be here, because of you," Dean cooed. Sam uncurled himself to look up at the love of his life and Dean took the opportunity to give him a kiss. Sam stiffened at first, the memories of what was done to him in the Cage were strong but the love he felt for his soulmate was stronger so he sighed and melted in the embrace.

Gabriel glanced at Nina worried about what she would say but she surprised him by smiling, "Soulmates are so cute when they finally figure it out. Took long enough, I gotta say. I remember when I first saw them together and even when I was a demon, I knew that they were meant to be together, that they were stronger together. That's why everyone wanted them separated."

"How much do you remember?" Bobby asked. He had been told she had a wall in her memories similar to what Sam did but hers was designed to slowly melt as she grew strong enough to remember what was done to her and what she had done as a demon.

"Most of it," she admitted. "I know that Asmodeus will try to talk to Lucifer to get instructions, just like my fa…er Azazel did. I think we need to keep those two here, on the property so he can't get his hands on them."

"What do you mean?" Bobby asked.

"Ruby was the Temptress, remember? When Dean was in Hell, she was the one who misled Sammy so he would go after Lilith and break the last Seal. Now, Asmodeus will need another Tempter and since Sam lets very few people into his heart, the Tempter could end up being Dean. With my idiot step-brother putting that lust spell on Dean, it could've been that he hoped he could break their bond by Dean doing something terrible to Sam," Nina explained. Bobby could see her inner-Meg coming out a bit.

"Do you mean Asmodeus hoped that Dean would try to ra-," Bobby couldn't finish his sentence. It was horrible enough to think it but to say the word was almost impossible.

Nina watched the two on the couch cuddling in comfort while Cas had his arms around both of them. "Yeah, that was probably his plans but when Sam started to accept his love for his mate, his brother, that spell was broken."

Bobby looked at the boys and saw the love that flowed between them. He said, "Thank God." Nina seconded that sentiment. For the rest of the night, the group stayed together, gathering their strength for the coming battle.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Asmodeus was pleased with his progress, out the ten attempted targets he had accomplished breaking seven seals losing a few demons to angels trying to keep the seals safe. He knew that he needed guidance so he sent out sixty six demons to possess some of the most devote humans, those whose faith was impeccable, no matter their religion. The demons brought their targets to the convent in Ilchester so Asmodeus could personally break the seal of the Devote also so he could make contact with Lucifer.

He had the sacrifices lined up, sixty six priests, monks, nuns, rabbis, imams and nonsecular faithful. One by one as the demons left the hosts he slit their throats until the chapel was awash in blood. Finally, he dragged the corpse of a woman who had Stigmata to the desecrated alter and prayed that his Lord would be able to answer him.

It took a few minutes then Lucifer's voice filled the air, "Ah…Azazel's most beloved child."

Asmodeus fell to his knees and said, "My Lord, please direct my steps so I may soon bask in your glorious presence."

The corpse smiled then said, "Continue to break Seals but before you break the sixtieth, you must capture Sam Winchester and hand him to Alastair and Lilith to torture until he is almost dead. This will cause his brother to come after him. Make sure he is found with his blood staining Lilith's hands and Dean will kill her. This will once again open my prison and free us. Michael and I will rise again."

Asmodeus smiled and said, "Thank you, my Lord, for your help and guidance."

"Like your father before you, you are one of my favorites," the corpse sighed then the connection was broken. Asmodeus stood in the bloody chapel and began to plan the temptation of Dean Winchester.

_Sorry this is a bit late. I hope you like it. Thanks always to the wonderful 3DBABE1999 for the great ideas. You rock!_


	5. Chapter 5

Warnings: This chapter deals with m/m sex, incest and torture. Please do not read if you do not like. Thank you.

"_I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." Martin Luther King, Jr._

Chapter Four

"_Like your father before you, you are one of my favorites," the corpse sighed then the connection was broken. Asmodeus stood in the bloody chapel and began to plan the temptation of Dean Winchester._

In many ways, this time around was worse than when Dean was the first one to break a seal. Asmodeus had gathered an army of demons to attack all the seals except for the very last one. Since there were few Angels this time, the other spheres were forced to contribute some of their members to help protect the seals the best they could. Using flaming swords, the Seraphim and Cherubim stood in protectiveness around some of the seals while the Powers granted gifts to humans to protect others. The Virtues used their powers to signal a seal in trouble by raining meteorites down on the demons trying to open it and the Dominions sent down some of their members to walk among the humans. When word went around that Castiel was actually Samyaza, forgiven by God, many of the Dominions made their way to the Yard to consult with him and Gabriel. The rest of the Archangels, those that stayed out of the last war, also came to the Yard wanting to talk to Gabriel about their plan of action. Dean and Sam finally met the others. Chamuel, Jophiel, and Zadkiel turned out not to be like Michael or Raphael but very different. They cared about humans and wanted to help. Chamuel always knew where God was while Zadkiel had been with Him during His walk on Earth. Jophiel was the Archangel who inspired beauty and intelligence, he never wanted the apocalypse to happen. Between the three of them, they knew that the first attempt at the apocalypse had been a test by their Father and something they were not to be a part of. This apocalypse, however, wasn't a test and needed to be fought the three Archangels said.

Death was the one who brought the last Archangel, Samael. Gabriel explained to the group that Samael needed to be protected since Asmodeus would try to chain him to Lucifer, like Death was to be bound. Gabriel also went on to say that if Samael was bound to his brother, Lucifer could command him to lay waste to whole countries like he had done to Sodom and Gomorrah. Everyone shuddered to think of such a power in Lucifer's hand. At first, Samael was isolated from the humans and Nephilim but it was Sam who actually started to talk to the Archangel, finding him to be funny and kind, something only Samael's brothers knew. Humans feared him because he was known as the Angel of Death but in reality, he was a kind, gentle being.

At first, Cas was afraid that the other Archangels would hate him and try to kill him but that was the furthest thing from the truth. Chamuel and Zadkiel had been in on the reasons their Father punished Samyaza and they were just happy that the sentence was up so they could have their brother back again. Jophiel was also happy to see his brother reinstated to his former position while Samael joked that he must have been Samyaza's favorite brother since the name Sam was passed down the family line. Cas basked in his brothers' love and teasing, it had been too long since they had done that. It was something that he missed even if he didn't know it. Watching the five Archangels, Crowley and Cas play together gave Dean some more insight. After Raphael, Michael, Uriel and Zachariah, Dean was under the impression that all the Angels were humorless automatons and Gabriel had been an aberration but he found out that the opposite was actually the truth of the situation.

Metatron also came down from Heaven to consult with Kevin, saying it took too long for the Prophet to translate his tablets when time was of the essence. It wasn't a reflection on Kevin, the Angel said, but his Father insisted on him training the Prophet personally. Kevin was happy to finally get to meet the one who kept sending him the tablets and the two got along very well, cracking jokes in between lessons. Dean actually sat in some of those lessons, learning more about soulmates and Nephilim.

He knew what a soulmate meant when it came to him and his brother but through his lessons with Kevin he found out that he and Sam was actually one person in two bodies. Metatron said that very few people find their literal other half and those that do could never be parted, even in death. Dean found out that when he had died, when Sam went to Hell and when he was pulled into Purgatory, both brothers actually experienced a kind of living death since they couldn't survive without the other being alive at least. When Sam went to college, they had been broken. They went through the motions of living but in truth, they were just wasting away. Dean tried to stop it by getting involved with Cassie and Sam tried by getting engaged to Jess but neither of them were whole. Their father was the one who pulled them back together when he disappeared, doing them a great favor even if he only meant to get Sam under Dean's thumb again.

Because of their soulmate bond and an Angel whispering in his ear, Dean made the deal when Sam died at Cold Oak. Zachariah and Uriel both used the bond against the brothers, trying to drive a wedge between them but because they were true soulmates, even those interferences couldn't totally break their bond. It was because of their bond that Sam found the strength to throw Lucifer's hold off long enough to open the Cage door and throw himself in. It was also because of their bond that Dean reacted so strongly against Ruby. He didn't understand why at the time but he acted like a jilted lover. Unconsciously, Dean couldn't stand to see his mate in someone else's arms. Dean now understood that his anger towards Sam during the first apocalypse wasn't because of the demon blood or the vengeance that Sam sought against Lilith, those things Dean himself would have done, but because his mate was sleeping with someone else.

The best thing Dean found out was that because Sam and he were soulmates _and_ Nephilim, they could now feel each other and, if they were separated, find each other no matter how many miles were between them. Metatron said that it was a hyperextension of their empathic and telepathic powers that couldn't be blocked by any means. The only one who would be able to block such a powerful connection was God Himself, Dean learned. Even Death would be unable to stop them from feeling each other. Another piece to Dean's internal puzzle fell into place. After he got back from Hell, Sam had nightmares about what happened to Dean. When Sam was detoxing from the demon blood, part of his hallucinations were of being on the rack with Alastair standing above him. Dean felt Sam's pain when his baby brother was in the Cage with Lucifer and Michael. There were too many nights that Lisa had to wake Dean up from his own nightmares about what was happening to Sam.

Dean was told about what happened to Sam immediately after he and Cas were sucked into Purgatory. How Sam was practically catatonic and it was only the Amulet that he had given Dean that brought the younger hunter out. Gabriel said that he believed it was because they had once again been separated and their bond couldn't take the strain any more. Dean and Sam were both told that the next time either of them dies, the other will follow soon after.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Asmodeus was pleased. All his careful planning was finally coming to fruition. Even the chapel in Ilchester was just the way that Alastair requested: rack, tools, knives, fire, pokers, whips and the like waited for their victim to make his appearance. Lilith was like a child in a candy shop, fitting really since her new host was a ten year old girl she had possessed right from under her pastor father and religious mother. Even though she knew another painful death awaited her, she was joyful about getting some revenge from Sam for killing her in the first place.

"My Lord," a demon waited patiently for Asmodeus to acknowledge him.

"Yes, what do you want?" Asmodeus asked tersely.

"You wanted to know when the fifty-fifth seal had broken," the demon replied.

"When?" was all the Nephilim had to ask.

"An hour ago," the demon answered.

"Good. Send Alastair to me and get the hounds ready," Asmodeus grinned in anticipation. The demon bowed and left. He waited for just a few minutes before Alastair made his presence known.

"My Lord?" the Master Torturer asked.

"In just a few days, we will be having a guest. I want you to make sure he is 'welcomed' appropriately. Make sure that Lilith is with you so she can play too," Asmodeus ordered.

"As you wish, my Lord," Alastair said with anticipation. He had always liked to collect things and having all three Winchesters on his rack would be a gold star in his collections. He remembered how John had screamed but never broke, how Dean broke after the Angels showed him his brother was being tortured. Now he wondered how long it would take Sam to break. He didn't think the youngest would take too long since he had already been tortured by their Master for almost two centuries. Since it was Lucifer himself who wanted Alastair to do the torturing, the demon planned to thank his Master in person with a tribute of the bloody clothes of the youngest Winchester.

Asmodeus left the demon drooling over his near-victory, he had to plan how to lure Sam out from under the watchful eye of the Angels and his brother. When the Hounds were brought to him, he took them to the training area where demons had stored his toys, ten men with the approximate size and looks of Sam Winchester. Ten out of fifty originally kidnapped to train his Hounds.

He had started to train the Hounds a week earlier not to kill but to retrieve Sam but the first few men had been torn apart in a very short time. It had taken thirty more and a week before Asmodeus found a couple of Hounds he could trust with the retrieval. Now, the two of the men had Sam's scent on them from clothes that had been found in a couple of Ruby's hidey-holes. These would help the Hounds distinguish the real Sam Winchester from any other tall man that may be with him.

Asmodeus had his demons hide the ten toys before releasing the two Hounds he liked. The Hounds found the first fake and tore him to shreds. The same happened with the second and third but the fourth toy had Sam's scent so they dragged him to their master who gave them pets and sent them on their way to find the other one. After killing the other five men and finding their last quarry, Asmodeus gave them one of the survivors to play with. The last one would be put in a cage to keep his Hounds company. This way, he knew they would never lose the scent or sight of their ultimate goal: Sam Winchester.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Dean sighed in contentment looking at his mate sleeping next to him. Last night he and Sam consummated their relationship in a mind blowing way. Luckily, Dean had taken Crowley's advice and put up soundproofing in their room otherwise the whole household would have come running into the room at a very private moment. He never knew his brother could be so loud but Dean was almost deafened when Sam finally came.

The evening started off innocent enough, watching t.v. in the living room with Cas, Kevin and Nina. All during that, though, they had been touching and giving each other small kisses until Nina suggested they get a room. Sam just rolled his eyes as Kevin seconded her suggestion. Sam and Dean looked at each other and grinned then, using their powers, they teleported to their room where they continued to touch and kiss until it got too much for them. Getting Sam under him on the bed, Dean was in awe for the love he found staring up at him. Not even Lisa looked at him with this level of love and adoration that Sam had for him. Dean took his time exploring every inch of his brother then let Sam reciprocate the caresses until he got Sam back underneath him and began to make love to his mate. When they finally came together, there was a blinding white light that shone in the room. After they finally came down and were basking in the afterglow, the light faded until they were left in the darkened room. Dean felt so much joy and love for his mate, that they made love twice more, blinding anyone who looked up at their window until they finally fell into an exhausted sleep.

As Dean watched his brother stir, the feelings from the last night came flooding back. Cas had told them both that if they did decide to take this final step, they would end up mating many times for a few days. It was part of who they were, he said, and they would not be able to deny themselves. Sam's hazel eyes finally opened only to land on Dean. With a lazy grin, Sam reached for his brother and kissed his full lips. Dean kissed back and, with his tongue, begged entrance to Sam's mouth. Sam parted his lips and Dean's tongue began to once more map it out. Tickling the roof of Sam's mouth became one of Dean's favorite things to do, finding that it was extremely sensitive and made his brother moan. With mouth and hands, he began to arouse Sam once again.

Cas was watching Bobby fix breakfast for the household but when he saw that Bobby set places for Sam and Dean, he stopped the man and said, "Um, I don't think you'll need so many plates this morning, Bobby."

"Why?" Bobby asked suspiciously.

"When soulmates consummate their relationship…" Cas was cut off before he said anything else.

"I don't want to know," Bobby groused as he put the two settings away. "Besides, with that light show, I couldn't get to sleep until two this morning. Is that normal, anyway?"

"That is part of their Angelic heritage," was all Cas said.

"I'll have to put up some blinds or blackout curtains in their room I guess," Bobby said.

"It may not help much," Gabriel said entering the kitchen. "I think we can get do something with the windows though. We don't need to advertise exactly where the boys are when they are so vulnerable."

Crowley appeared in the kitchen and sat down. Looking at the coffee, he asked for a cup. "Usually, I don't drink the stuff but with those two upstairs going at it, I couldn't get anything done last night."

"Weren't you in Hell?" Gabriel asked cracking a grin.

"Father, yes! But those two are just too much!" Crowley said shakily. He took a deep drink of the hot beverage that appeared in front of him then said, "I think I'm going to take off the trace I put on them, at least temporarily until they get it out of their system."

"You better not," a new voice said as Samael joined the group. "I just heard that Asmodeus is getting ready to try to take one of our nephews. Death just contacted me and said that he had been training Hell Hounds to take Sam soon."

"How do you know that?" Bobby asked.

"One of the souls of the men he had kidnapped was able to tell him before the reaper took the man Home," Samael replied. "Asmodeus used him and others to train his Hounds to take Sam but not to kill him."

"Can Tabitha keep Sam safe?" Bobby worried.

"Depends on how many Hell Hounds are sent after him. She's good but remember she's only eight months old and still a pup. Their new activities will keep the boys indoors for a while but soon they'll want to go out. We need to be prepared for Asmodeus' attack," Crowley said wisely. The group as a whole nodded their agreement.

As predicted, it took a few days before anyone saw the mates. They stayed in their room with Cas occasionally bringing them food and water. Since he was blood family, he was the only one Dean would allow to go near Sam. When Bobby asked why, since he was considered by the boys as their foster father, Gabriel explained that the soulmate bond between Sam and Dean was intense and Dean would only allow someone who had the scent of their family to come close to his mate. Dean, as the oldest, had taken the dominant role in the relationship. Gabriel went on to explain that, even though Sam was stronger, it had been age that determined who was dominant. It always was so because of the way they had been raised, beginning when Mary let Dean feel Sam move in her belly. The connection sparked then and, when John put his baby brother in Dean's arms to run out of the burning house, it was cemented. Bobby nodded his agreement. He remembered when the boys were young, it was Dean who made the decisions on when his brother would sleep, eat and train. Sam never knew it but there were numerous fights between John and Dean. They were very intense, with the older Winchesters almost coming to blows quite a few times and all of them were about how John treated Sam.

When Sam finally emerged, Gabriel was sitting in the living room with Bobby and Chamuel discussing that sixty of the seals had been broken. They knew that whatever Asmodeus had planned, the Nephilim had to spring it very soon so the Tempter would be in place. Sam looked into the living room while Tabitha nudged at him. She wanted to go for a walk and Sam needed to stretch his legs so, without disturbing the three beings, he got her collar and leash then the two of them went out.

Dean came downstairs soon after, looking for something to eat. On his way to the kitchen, he heard voices in the living room. Thinking Sam was there he stuck his head in and said hi. Not seeing his brother, he continued to the kitchen. Sam had said he too was hungry but when Dean got there, Sam wasn't in the kitchen. Panicking slightly, he went back to the living room and asked, "Uh, anyone seen Sammy? I thought he'd be in the kitchen but he isn't."

Gabriel didn't exactly jump up from where he was sitting but neither did he leisurely get up. "We need to find him _now_!" he said a bit loudly.

"Wh-what's going on?" Dean asked fearfully.

"Dean, keep calm," Chamuel said in a quiet voice, hoping to stem Dean's protective side from doing anything rash. "We will find your mate but you need to stay here."

"Why?" Dean asked starting to get frantic.

"Bobby, why don't you tell him what we were talking about while we go find Sammy?" Gabriel asked. The then Archangels left the room in a flurry of wings.

"Bobby?" Dean turned to his father/friend. Bobby sighed then began to tell the worried Winchester what had been happening since he and his brother had been sequestered together.

_Twenty minutes ago-_

_Sam took Tabitha out and released her from her leash so she could run a bit. He knew she had been waiting patiently by their door until they were done with their mating. He blushed when he thought of the days he and Dean just spent in each other's' arms and it felt right, it felt like home. As he was thinking of wonderful things, he didn't notice Tabitha's behavior. She began to back up until her tail brushed her charge, growling at unseen evil. When Sam looked down, his eyes became dark when he realized what was going on. Extending his senses, he heard panting and smelled the sulfur he remembered from the time Dean was killed…by a Hell Hound. Listening carefully, he found that they were surrounded by the creatures._

_The attack, when it happened, was quick and brutal. Ten Hell Hounds howled then attacked. Tabitha snarled in response and defended Sam the best she could, while he threw many of the Hounds into trees. While she was fighting the Hounds, two others snuck up behind Sam quietly. Before he knew it, he had been grabbed and dragged away until they were off the property. When they stopped, Sam turned over and looked up at the one who controlled the Hounds. Asmodeus smiled down at his prize. Lifting his hand, Asmodeus clenched his fist and smashed it down on Sam's face, knocking him out. Picking up his "cousin", Asmodeus chuckled before disappearing._

When Gabriel and Chamuel came back to the house, they were carrying Tabitha. She was barely breathing and torn up. When Dean saw her, he started to keen in terror for his brother, his mate, his reason for living. Gabriel, seeing the distress Dean was in called Cas to come and help before he put Dean in a deep sleep. When Cas got there, he also became distressed but was able to calm down enough to begin planning a very painful death for the one who took his child. Chamuel, seeing this, tapped his brother's shoulder. When Cas turned around, Chamuel put him to sleep also. Bobby went to the panic room and erased all Angelic proofing they had so the others could put Cas and Dean in it. After Gabriel shut and locked the door, he put sigils on it to keep the two in the room until they got Sam back. There was no way that they would allow Samyaza or his child to go after Sam since it was a trap to get one of the bloodline to kill Lilith, thus opening up the Cage door once again. To be safe, Gabriel requested some of the Dominions to guard the door and house, making sure that neither one of the two got out. The Dominions were very sympathetic and also offered a few of their number to go with the Archangels to rescue Sam.

Once more, a gathering of Angels massed in the living room with Bobby, Kevin and Nina in attendance. Crowley, Zadkiel, Samael, and Jophiel were there along with many of the Dominions and Metatron. After a discussion of how to get Sam back without springing the door, Metatron made a suggestion. He said that Samael should be the one to take Lilith and dump her in Gehenna so she could never be used as a seal again. He also said that when they got to where Sam was being held, the Angels should go in in their true forms. Crowley and Samael smiled, they knew that their true forms were terrifying to say the least, even to demons. When it came to where Sam was being held Nina said that she could see him back where the Cage was originally opened, the convent in Ilchester. Kevin was the one to point out that since Sam was Nephilim, he may be held in a circle of Holy Fire and they would need to take someone who can extinguish it. Bobby cringed as he felt the eyes of all the Angels on him. He knew that he would be going with but he worried about seeing the Angels in their true form remembering what happened to his friend Pamela.

"You don't have to worry about it," Gabriel said. "Technically, you have the powers of an Angel and Death. You won't be affected by our forms." Bobby was relieved then felt small for being worried about such a small thing as his eyes when Sam was in danger. Gabriel just patted his shoulder and said comfortingly, "It's okay, Bobby. We understand that you are just worried about Sammy. We know you love the kid."

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Sam woke up to his worst nightmare, stripped naked and chained to a rack. Alastair stood over him, knife in hand and grinning. Lilith stood next to Alastair with her own favorite tool: a blowtorch. Sam braced himself but couldn't help screaming as Alastair started to work on him.

_Dean woke up screaming. Cas heard him and went to his son/friend. Looking into Dean's mind, he saw that the bond between the brothers showed Sam being tortured by Alastair. With tears in his eyes for the pain his children were going through, Cas gathered Dean into his arms then put the young hunter to sleep again. _

Without taking a break, Lilith and Alastair had fun torturing Sam. The first round was blades and fire while the second round was whips that cut so deep, Lilith used a red-hot poker to cauterize the wounds so Sam wouldn't bleed out. Then Alastair decided to open Sam's stomach up. Picking up a scalpel, he made the incision slightly above the man's belly button. Parting the muscles, he started to take Sam's intestines out, making sure not to disconnect them from the main body. Lilith giggled then started to skip rope with them, Sam screaming all the way.

Asmodeus watched the fun from the sidelines. Then, after a while, he started on the psychological torture he knew would devastate the young man. "Your brother, your beloved mate will be the one to break the seal," He said oily. "Lucifer is waiting to get you back. This time, he will not be so gentle with you."

"G-g-g-go to Hell," Sam wheezed.

"Actually, Lucifer will want me by his side. He has said so himself," Asmodeus smiled.

Sam looked at the Nephilim and smiled with blood staining his teeth, "Y-y-you d-d-d-don't know h-h-h-how much h-h-h-he hates anything with h-h-h-human blood. H-h-h-he w-w-w-will kill yoooouuuu!" Sam screamed again as Asmodeus took his arm and, twisting it, broke the elbow and the two lower bones. Then Asmodeus took a sledge hammer from Alastair's tool bench and, standing over Sam's right leg, he brought it down with enough force to shatter the leg. Then he turned to the other leg and did the same thing.

"Your friends will not get here before the other seals are broken. They will not save you from the pain. I have made sure there are sigils all around this place to keep them out," Asmodeus said proudly, listening to the music of Sam's anguish.

_Dean came out of the sleep that Cas put him in crying out in anguish, feeling everything that Sam was going through. Cas slipped into his son/friend's mind and tried to numb the pain the bond was creating in Dean's mind. When he couldn't, he backed out then, once again, put Dean into a deep sleep. Then, like he had done for Sam with the link to Lucifer, he transferred the pain Dean was feeling to himself. It was temporary but he couldn't not help his child. Using all his will, he clamped his mouth shut and didn't make a sound as he felt Sam's pain._

When the rescue team got to the convent, Bobby saw the sigils on the door. He scoffed then, using his powers, he erased the sigils that were holding them outside. As the Angels dropped their human forms, Bobby also released his own, new form. Bobby still looked human but his eyes had flames in them and his height was now of a seven foot man. He looked like Death's younger brother in so many ways. Crowley also appeared differently. His true form was one of an Angel dressed in blood red with flaming wings. Samael, though, was the most frightening to look at. Dressed in black with silver armor, he had ebony wings that ended in sharpened tips that looked as though they had been dipped in blood.

Even though those three looked terrifying, it was the Archangels, especially Gabriel who were the ones the others backed away from. Lifting a horn to his lips, Gabriel blew it and the doors were smashed open. The Dominions led the way in, killing all demons and Hell Hounds that came towards them. As they fought their way to the chapel, they could hear Sam's screams of anguish. When they got to the chapel door, Gabriel once again blew his horn to smash their way in.

Asmodeus had heard the horn the first time it was blown and he decided to leave. It wouldn't do for him to be caught there. Lilith waited knowing what her fate was but Alastair was too far gone with his games to care. Pouring oil on Sam's legs, he set them on fire. It was then that the door to the chapel blew open with the second blast of the horn.

Bobby was horrified to see the state that Sam was in but kept his game face on. Alastair tried to escape but Chamuel grabbed him and gave him to the Dominions and Crowley who promptly disappeared with the demon. Lilith, not seeing Dean anywhere, backed away, trying also to escape but Samael appeared behind her and grabbing the demon bitch, disappeared. He would drop her in Gehenna while the Dominions and Crowley would make sure Alastair never got out of Hell again. Gabriel approached the tortured man on the rack with his brothers. Jophiel released the bonds holding Sam to the rack while Gabriel and Zadkiel healed his physical hurts. After putting Sam in a deep sleep, Gabriel allowed Bobby to pick him up and carry him out of the convent. When the group was out, Gabriel once again sounded his horn and the whole convent collapsed, never to be used again.

_Cas suffered for Dean but knew when his brothers rescued Sam. He kept Dean in a deep sleep, knowing that the man would try to get out of the room they were trapped in. Soon, he knew, the mates would be reunited and the healing would begin. _

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Gabriel made sure Sam was comfortable and clean, laying in his bed before going to release Cas and Dean from the panic room. Dean ran up to his bedroom to see his mate unconscious. When he was told what happened to Sam, he climbed in the bed with his brother and snarled at anyone who came close to them. Gabriel then had to tell Dean that Sam was in a coma due to the trauma he had suffered. More than anything, Dean wanted to get his hands on the ones who had hurt his brother but since that wasn't possible, he made sure nobody got close enough to hurt Sam again. Cas was the notable exception. Taking the link over, even for a short period of time, had cemented their family feelings until Dean had almost accepted him as a co-mate. Theirs was not a soulmate bond but something different that was almost as strong. Because of their new bond, Cas was able to help Dean reach Sam deep within his mind and gently pull him back to them. It took some time but they were finally able to get him to come back to them.

This time, with his soul strong within him, Sam didn't go insane but was able to process everything easier. He still had nightmares but with Cas, Dean and a healed Tabitha, he was able to sleep and heal. Dean kept Sam in their room for a very long time, the nightmare they had gone through made him even more protective of his mate and he guarded Sam like a mother bear would guard her cubs. When Sam finally did leave the room, Dean and Tabitha were right by his side, ready to fight for him. At first, Dean didn't allow anyone but Cas to approach Sam but he started to calm down after a while. Gabriel told Nina, Kevin and Bobby that it was normal under the circumstances that Dean would be so protective.

What shocked the household was that Sam was very insistent on training and sparring. Samael, who had talked to the young hunter, found that Sam was worried that Asmodeus would do something more to open the Cage and let Lucifer back out. Sam said that he wanted to be ready if that ever happened. When Dean heard about Sam's fears, he wondered if Sam's visions were coming back. Cas said that it was possible but until Sam said that he was having them, nobody really knew since Sam had become very quiet about everything. Dean was gentle and didn't push his mate to say or do anything he wasn't comfortable with and Sam was grateful to him for that mercy. Because of Dean's patience, Sam finally became comfortable to tell his brother everything that had happened to him back in the Cage and in the convent. When he told Dean about what Asmodeus had said, Dean finally understood where his brother was coming from and helped him train.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Asmodeus was furious. His well laid plans had been thwarted and now he was left with nothing! Alastair was unreachable, having been chained in the deepest parts of Hell where only Crowley had access to and Lilith was now in Gehenna, never to be used as the last seal again. Angrily, he called upon the other Eight Lords of Hell and together they stood with their armies around the Cage. Combining their powers together, they began to batter the Cage from without while Lucifer battered from within. It shouldn't have worked but since there had been two incursions into the Cage already, it was weakened and finally after much power had been released on it, the Cage shattered. Lucifer was freed, never to be imprisoned again. Michael, having been released also, took off for parts unknown to gather his strength once more.

"Until we meet again," Lucifer called after his brother, laughing in delight.

_Many thanks to 3DBABE1999 for the story idea and doing the beta work. You rock!_


	6. Chapter 6

"_Peace demands the most heroic labor and the most difficult sacrifice. It demands greater heroism than war. It demands greater fidelity to the truth and a much more perfect purity of conscience." Thomas Merton_

"_Sacrifice, which is the passion of great souls, has never been the law of societies." Henri Fredric Amiel_

Chapter Five

"_Until we meet again," Lucifer called after his brother, laughing in delight. _

Michael sat in a garden, trying to heal from his time in the Cage. He wasn't physically hurt but he was mentally and spiritually injured. When he first fell into the Cage, he believed like his brother that it was all Sam Winchester's fault for him being there. He joined in torturing the poor hero and aided his brother in convincing Adam that Sam was to blame for his not being able to keep his promise. He even helped guide Adam's hand the first time the youngest son of John Winchester cut into his brother but it wasn't until he noticed that Sam didn't beg for Adam to stop, or to get off the rack for the chance to torture his half-brother that he started to have doubts. Sam cried, he screamed but he also kept asking for forgiveness and that more than anything stayed Michael's hand the next time he was offered the knife. Michael became intrigued by Sam and really looked at the man's soul. He cringed to find that Sam had a very pure soul even after the all the attempts to corrupt and sully him. It was then he started to pray for Sam's deliverance and he began to protect Sam as much as he could. When Death finally came to retrieve the poor thing, it was Michael who took him from the rack and put him into the hands of salvation, something Sam believed he didn't deserve but Michael was finally convinced that he did.

Pain racked the Archangel as he thought of how proud he had been that his Father picked him to go after and kill his brother, pride after all had been one of Lucifer's sins, but it was a mere human who had, by his own actions, humbled him. Michael knew that he needed to find Sam and beg his forgiveness but he didn't know how or if the human would accept it. As he sat in pain, he felt a warmth filling him, something he hadn't felt since his Father went to Earth. With the warmth, came the feelings of love, forgiveness, and joy. Crystal tears fell from Michael's eyes as he came to realize that his Father was still with him and forgave him his sins. With that feeling also came the knowledge of where Sam Winchester was and that he, too, would forgive him. Michael bowed his head in thanks and prayer. After he was done, he stood up and, spreading his massive wings, took off. He would find Sam and protect the young man he had come to think of as a brother.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

It took Dean a very long time before he felt comfortable enough to let his mate out of his sight. Even then he asked if the others would watch Sam for him but when Sam found out, he got a bit upset. He wanted to be able to spend some time in solitude because he had started to feel hemmed in and a bit claustrophobic. After some loud arguments and a bunch of make-up sex, Dean agreed to let Sam walk alone as long as Sam stayed on the property and took Tabitha with him. Even though that was what Sam had been doing when he got kidnapped in the first place, Dean knew that Tabitha had learned from the experience and was just a fiercely protective of Sam as he was. Besides, Crowley had brought other Celestial Hounds to guard the Yard, something that Sam wasn't aware of until he took his first solitary walk. When he spotted the Hounds patrolling the grounds, he didn't say anything since there were others there that needed the protection just as much as he and his brother did.

Crowley was the first one who came back with the news that the Cage had been destroyed and the occupants were now gone. Sam had a panic attack when he heard that bit of news and it took everyone to calm him down. It took a very long time before he could breathe and Dean was there helping him out. Cas also assured him that Lucifer would have to go through all the spheres before he got Sam again. It helped but Sam still remembered what Asmodeus had told him: Lucifer wanted to punish him for trapping him back in the Cage.

The next one to bring news was Death. Lucifer had indeed woken his brothers up and they were once again on the move. Luckily, when Samael dumped Lilith in Gehenna, he also dropped the other three rings in it too, something that Death had suggested. Now, even if the other Horsemen were around, they weren't as powerful as they had been and the other spheres once again sent out some of their members to fight. The Cherubim and Seraphim went after Famine, the Dominions was fighting Pestilence while the Powers targeted War. The Ophanim worked with the Angels to heal anyone who had been infected by the Horsemen.

Bad news kept coming to the Yard and each time, Sam felt like he had once again doomed humanity to the tender mercies of Lucifer. This time, his depression was worse than before since it was because of him that the Cage had been destroyed. Cas weakened the Cage when he retrieved Sam's vessel and Death weakened it even more when he went and got Sam's damaged soul. He began to shut down again and refused to talk or meet anyone's eyes. Dean started to become frantic until he realized why Sam felt so bad, and then he talked to Cas as he tried to figure out a way to help. They knew they needed help so they told the others what was going on. Nothing anyone could say or do alleviated Sam's suffering then help came from a very unexpected source.

On one of his walks, Sam noticed a few of the Hounds gathered next to the border of the Yard. When he went to see what was there, he found Michael unconscious on the ground just beyond the protected area. Extending his senses for danger, Sam found that a few demons not far away. He surmised that they were using the Archangel as bait and he was tempted to leave Michael there but his heart and soul wouldn't allow him to leave an injured being to be hurt or killed so he sent a few of the Hounds to go after the demons while he retrieved the Angel. While the Hounds kept the demons busy, Sam, while touching both Tabitha and Michael, teleported the three of them to the living room. Once there, Sam yelled for help while he got the unconscious Angel on the couch to check him out for injuries. Gabriel, Samael and Bobby came out of the kitchen while Dean came down from their room. The four went into the living room to find Sam tending to Michael.

Dean's first reaction was to tear his mate away from one of those who had hurt him terribly in the Cage but he knew that, even though Michael had tortured Sam for many years, the Archangel was also helpful in getting Sam's soul off the rack and into Death's hands. Conflicted, he settled on being close behind Sam in case Michael tried anything. When he got in the room, Gabriel gently nudged Sam away from Michael, much to Dean's relief, and took over checking out his brother. Finally, he sat up and announced that Michael was exhausted because he had been away from Heaven for a very long time. He wasn't used to it like Gabriel, Cas or Crowley so he had to recharge his batteries so to speak by sleeping. Gabriel then took Michael upstairs to one of the guest rooms to finish sleeping then he returned to the others. Dean was holding Sam in comfort since the scent of sulfur had clung to Michael and brought some of Sam's memories to the surface. Cas also was trying to comfort the young man by singing under his breath.

Dean knew that Sam hadn't told him everything that happened in the Cage. Sam said that it was still too painful to even think about but one thing was clear: Michael wasn't part of those particular memories. If he had been, then Sam would have run from the Archangel instead of trying to help him. As it was, Sam took a few steps back when he scented the sulfur and retreated into his mind. Dean decided to tell his mate a couple of his own painful memories, hoping that they would help Sam open up.

Clearing his throat, Dean said hoarsely, "I hope Gabe washes that smell off of his brother. I don't know about you but the smell of sulfur really brings it all back to me and I just want to curl in a small ball and never come out." He looked at Sam who kept his eyes on the ground but Dean could see a tiny glimmer of interest. He took that as a good sign and continued, "Did I ever tell you about one of the worst thing Alastair ever did to me?" A tiny shake came from Sam, "The first time it happened, he had spent some time rooting around in my head and he found about my feelings for you. You know, the feelings I never wanted to acknowledge? Well, he, uh, he changed himself into you and when…when…when I was tied on the rack…he…" Dean couldn't continue and he closed his eyes against the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. Then, he felt a soft touch on his arm and his head as Sam shook himself free of his own fears to comfort his mate. Sam wrapped his arms around Dean and pulled him close, letting his brother cry out his own pain.

Because Dean had relived his own painful memories for Sam, Sam decided to tell him about what happened to him. It hurt as he told his friend/father and his mate that Lucifer made Sam his "bunk buddy" in every way. Sometimes, Lucifer used their father's image, sometimes it was Dean's. He would beat Sam and cut him before taking him forcefully. After Adam started his own torture of Sam, he too would join in on the new type of torture, forcing Sam to take them both at the same time. They also liked to use toys that were barbed and very sharp to increase his pain and their pleasure.

Sam told Dean that, after decades of this abuse, the two torturers came up with another game that hurt him psychologically. Lucifer would hide Sam away from his brother and then he would ignore the cries that Sam uttered. This would go on for days before Lucifer dragged him out to play. Then he would be ignored again for a long time. It had gotten so Sam actually looked forward to the abuse since than meant he was real, something he doubted when he was locked away. It was worse when the game was expanded to being ignored when the others were close to him and were talking to each other. Sam tried everything to get their attention, even going so far as to offer a whip or knife but the two just looked through him.

Michael was his refuge and island after a while. The Archangel grew tired of the torture that his brother and vessel were doing to Sam and started to rescue him whenever possible. He even tried hiding Sam upon occasion but Lucifer and Adam would gang up on the Archangel and, after finding Sam, would torture him even longer and more painfully, making Michael listen to every scream. They would then tell Michael that what Sam was going through was his fault for interfering with their fun. Dean never had any love for the Archangel who wanted to use his body to kill his brother but after hearing what Sam said happened, he began to rethink his feelings. Not only did Michael begin to act brotherly towards Sam, trying to protect him from Lucifer and Adam but he was also tortured by the two when he was made to listen to Sam's screams.

After Cas heard what his children went through decided to ask his Father for a favor. He wanted to make sure that Sam and Dean would never go through something like that again. Giving both boys a kiss and hug, he went to find Chamuel with his request.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Nick was staring sightlessly out the window. He had been found in the Detroit apartment with the bodies of four men around him and would have been charged with their murders except for two things. One was there was no visible reason for the men to die except for their brains had been literally fried in their skulls. The other was that Nick himself was in a catatonic state. The court appointed psychiatrist said that due to an unknown severe traumatic experience, it was highly doubtful that Nick would ever come out of the catatonia.

Lucifer found Nick easy enough. His vessel had physically healed enough to once again host the Archangel while Lucifer looked for Sam Winchester. Since Nick had already given his consent once, Lucifer didn't need him to say yes again. He slipped into his temporary vessel again, almost like a homecoming. As Lucifer settled in, he searched the vessel for Nick's soul. He found it dying in a small corner of the man's mind. He really didn't care, all Nick was good for was giving Lucifer what he wanted, transportation on the mortal plane.

As Lucifer stood and stretched, he called to Asmodeus to attend him. A few seconds later, the Nephilim stood in his presence. "Tell me everything that has happened since I fell back into my prison," Lucifer commanded.

Asmodeus obediently did as ordered. He told Lucifer about meeting Dean in Purgatory, how they all got back to the mortal plane, what he had found out about Meg, the Prophet, and Crowley. He told Lucifer everything that had happened, especially when they tried to use Sam as the Tempter to force Dean to kill Lilith. Lucifer grew thunderous when he heard his own brothers stopped the last seal from being broken and he figured that it had been Samael who had taken Lilith to Gehenna. His anger spread out like a poisonous cloud, killing anyone whom it touched.

After he calmed down a bit, he said, "Let's leave here and gather our forces. It seems as though Heaven has entered this fight between my brother and myself. We also need information so send out a few demons to capture an Angel…capture, not kill. Do I make myself clear?"

Asmodeus bowed and murmured, "Yes, my Lord." Lucifer smiled then the two of them left the room wrecked and a body count behind them.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

When Michael woke up a few hours later, he looked around the bedroom and saw Gabriel. "Brother," Michael said with relief evident in his voice.

"Hi Mikey, how're you feeling?" Gabriel asked.

"Better, thank you. Uh, where are we?" Michael queried.

"The short answer is safe. The long answer is we are on part of the ground that Samyaza made his home on and now it's actually Bobby Singer's Yard," Gabriel quipped.

"Samyaza? I thought Father threw him into Hell for giving his human Father's true name," Michael said confusedly.

"Dad did punish our brother but not the way it was given to most of the family. Dad left it up to me to say what happened and I decided that, for his safety, Samyaza should be thought of as chained in Hell but that's not what Dad did," Gabriel explained. Seeing his brother starting to ask another question, he went on, "What Dad did was to remake Samyaza and put his memories to sleep for seven thousand years. He didn't think that what our brother did warranted Hell, just a bit of time-out."

"You say that Father remade him? Into what?" Michael asked.

Another voice sounded in the room and Michael recognized it as his brother, Castiel's, "Not a what, whom. Me to be exact and since my punishment is over, I have regained all my memories."

Michael's eyes widened in shock, then he found himself flying across the room and landing in Cas' arms. It had hurt him terribly when he heard that another beloved brother had been sent to Hell and he was very happy to find that that never happened. Like Gabriel, he had a very hard time with the deaths or punishments of his siblings but he had chosen to believe that since it was their choice to do what they did, they deserved to be punished. He had held on to his lofty assumptions until he too found himself in Hell, wondering what he had done to deserve it. After all, he had been the good son, following his Father's orders. If he hadn't gone through his own punishment and felt Father's forgiveness, he would have killed Samyaza on first sight.

Cas saw what was going through his brother's mind and just hugged him tighter. Then he said, "Thank you for trying to keep my son safe in the Cage."

"What do you mean?" Michael asked, pulling back a bit.

Gabriel explained, "When Samyaza's family was slaughtered, there was one survivor, a six month old girl who was adopted by Noah's cousin. When she got old enough, she was married to Japheth and began the bloodline that finally resulted in Sam and Dean Winchester."

Cas picked up, "The other children that Azazel had found and bled into were also part of my bloodline as is my vessel, Adam and the man, Nick. The reason that Sam and Dean were the chosen vessels is that they are the closest in blood to my daughter."

"The bloodline splintered after a four generations. Since Sam and Dean needed to be born, the cupids were under orders for certain people to marry and produce children. Each time this happened, the bloodline was being repaired. By the time John Winchester was born, the bloodline was almost complete but it took another distant cousin to marry him and finish it, hence Mary Campbell," Gabriel said.

Cas continued, "When she married John and produced Dean then Sam, the bloodline was back to the original and the Nephilim were reborn…"

Michael interrupted, "Nephilim, that explains how Sam could throw Lucifer off and Dean could resist Zachariah's attempts at having him say yes to me. It also explains how they both avoided being turned into demons after decades of being in Hell and why Sam's soul was still pure in the Cage after all the things that had been done. You should be proud of your sons, Samyaza…er Castiel. They are worthy of your name."

Cas smiled and blushed. He still felt like the naïve Castiel even though he remembered his former life. Michael saw the blush and grinned. He really missed his baby brother so very much. Then he asked, "May I see Sam? There is something I need to ask him."

Gabriel and Cas looked at each other then Gabriel said, "Mikey, there is something else you need to know."

"What is it?" Michael asked.

"When Sam and Dean found out they were Nephilim, their bond as soulmates snapped into place. They've mated," Gabriel said a bit apprehensively. Normally, the soulmate bond wouldn't bother an Angel but since they were talking about Michael's and Lucifer's vessels, there was a cause for concern.

Michael surprised both of his brothers and said, "Well, it's about time, don't you think? I always knew they were soulmates. Even in the Cage, their bond was so strong that Lucifer couldn't even break it with all the torture he put Sam through. I'm so glad they decided to take that final step since now they will both be happy." When he saw the astonished looks his brothers were giving him, he laughed and said, "Oh, come on. Even when I was trying to get Dean to say yes, I knew that the bond between them was one of the reasons he kept saying no. That bond kept them strong, that's why Zachariah kept trying to break it even after I told him that his schemes wouldn't work on true soulmates and he should quit trying.

"So can I see Sam and his mate?"

Hugging Michael once more, Cas nodded and led the way to his sons. Before Michael knocked on the door, Cas stopped him. "We need to cleanse you before you go in." Michael nodded then Gabriel snapped his fingers to rid his brother of the scent of sulfur. When Michael was deemed clean, Cas let him knock on the boys' door.

After a minute, the Angels heard a faint, "Come in." Michael took a deep breath then entered the room.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Asmodeus looked at Adam with distaste. He didn't understand why the Lord Lucifer wanted a mere demon next to him but there Adam was, sitting at Lucifer's feet while being petted every so often. Lucifer actually liked the youngest Winchester after he had made him into his own ideal pet. One who had tortured his own brother at Lucifer's command, even participating in raping said brother with a smile on his lips. Adam was the one demon that Lucifer planned to keep around after he purged the world of human influence. Then they would have Eternity having fun punishing Sam for his transgressions.

Asmodeus didn't know why Adam had such high favor in his Lord's eyes but he knew enough to not complain. The last demon that did that was torn to pieces by Adam with Lucifer's blessing. The Nephilim shuddered delicately as he remembered how much joy Adam took in the destruction, actually bathing in the demon's blood. Lucifer just watched and smiled, he even gave Adam some direction during the bloodbath. Now, Adam sat there at his master's feet, still covered in blood with a dreamy smile on his face. Asmodeus kept his face blank as he walked up to Lucifer.

"My Lord, the other Fallen are here as you requested," Asmodeus kept his head bowed and eyes averted.

"Have them enter," Lucifer said in response.

The Fallen Angels that Lucifer had requested entered the room and bowed as one. It had been thousands of years since they had laid eyes on their older brother. Purah smiled, he had been one of the original brothers to follow Lucifer when he Fell. There were others, but Purah had the distinct pleasure to be the first to back their brother.

Looking around at his Fallen brethren, Lucifer was pleased to see that many had survived the years. Yes, Azazel was in Gehenna, along with Lilith and Obyzouth who had served as sacrifice to his vessel. Samyaza whose location was hidden from all wasn't there and neither was Amy who had been overthrown by Crowley. It was rumored that Amy was fed to Crowley's Hell Hounds but nobody had been able to confirm the story. Before he addressed the gathering, Lucifer reached down and petted Adam who looked up at him with adoration. Then he got down to business.

"Welcome brothers. I am very glad to see you again, it has been too long," Lucifer began. "I wish to discuss with you my plans to get rid of those abortions called humans." He paused, watching the reactions among the other Fallen. After a minute, he began again, "Since Father has decided to intervene on Death's behalf and annul the binding spell, we need to coax our dear 'Uncle' to our side. Abaddon, the Angel we had questioned said that Death has an Agent now and that Samael is with the Winchesters. I need you to get the Agent and Samael. Bring them to me."

Abaddon bowed then Lucifer continued, "Mastema, you need to back War up. He is being harried by the Powers…"

Purah interrupted, "The other Spheres are fighting also?"

"I will forgive this one interruption but any others will not be forgiven. To answer your question, brother, yes the other Spheres have sent down representatives to fight in this war," Lucifer said irritably. Purah bowed in contrition. The Lucifer went on, "Rahab, you will also work with War. Lix Tetrax, you will work with Pestilence. Take a couple of your brothers with you. Pharzuph, you will be meeting with Famine. He has asked for you personally and said that he has been a fan of your work. Take whom you think will be of help to you." The named Fallen bowed. They were very pleased and proud to have been chosen for specific duties.

"There are some goals I wish to accomplish," Lucifer said. "One is that I want Crowley, in pieces or whole, I don't care. Second, I want my true vessel, whole. I don't care who you have to kill to get him. Third, kill Michael's true vessel. That will weaken our brother, especially since he has a soft spot for Dean Winchester. Fourth, kill all Prophets so they can't warn the other side, especially the vessels. Fifth, corrupt as many humans as you can. The more you corrupt, the easier it will be for us to win this war. Each corrupt soul is one more piece to the power supply.

"These are just my initial orders. As we get closer to the final battle, I will be letting you know what else needs to be done." Then Lucifer snapped his fingers and a banquet table appeared with food and drink. "Now, please, feel free to partake in the libations." He smiled as his brethren sat down and ate. Petting Adam again, he rested and dreamt of the world without Humans.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Michael walked into the room. Looking around he found Sam being held by Dean and he knew that Sam had been crying. Swiftly, he crossed the room and knelt down by the man he had come to think of as a brother. Looking at Dean for permission, Michael then put his hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Shh, little brother. Please don't cry," he murmured. "You, out of all of us, are the most innocent and never to be blamed for the actions of others. Free Will, after all." Then he laid his head on Sam's and, with Dean, pulled the younger man into a comforting hug. As they sat there, Michael felt another's wings envelop them. Looking up, he found that Cas had followed him into the room and was now giving comfort to the three of them. Gabriel also came over to help. It took a while but Sam finally fell asleep in the arms of his family.

While he slept, Michael looked up at Dean and said, "Hello, Nephew." Dean cracked a weak smile then Michael asked, "Can you ever forgive me for putting you and your brothers through Hell? I know what I did was wrong and I know I don't deserve forgiveness but I have to ask anyway."

Dean said, "You did put us through hell but you also helped Sammy while the two of you were in the Cage. When we were growing up, anyone who hurt my baby brother was someone I would hurt back but, like I said, you did help Sam out. You tried to keep him safe and you were tormented for your kindness. That sort of makes us even so, yeah, I forgive you."

"Thank you," Michael said. "I hope Sam is as forgiving as you are."

"Thing is, Mikey, Sammy has already forgiven you," Dean said. "My brother, my mate, has this wonderful capacity to forgive anyone who had ever hurt him. The only person he has ever had a hard time forgiving is himself."

Michael grinned at the "Mikey". His beloved brother, Gabriel, had been the only one to get away with using nicknames but Michael could see that Dean was going to be the same kind of brash, fun-loving person. Then, remembering what Dean had just said, he replied, "Well, we'll just have to help him work on that, won't we." Dean nodded in agreement.

Cas and Gabriel were very happy to see Dean and Michael deciding to work on Sam. He had quickly become the light of their existences and they hated to see how his self-loathing hurt him. His was a lifetime of penance where there should only be joy. For the rest of the night, the four beings gave silent comfort to the one who had come to mean so much to them. It was the last night of peace for any of the family for a long time.

The morning found Bobby in the kitchen making breakfast for the family. He had learned a few weeks ago that, even if Angels don't need to eat that didn't mean they wouldn't. Gabriel liked sweet things, Samael had a hankering for all things leafy and green while Cas was all for anything meat. The other Angels were just as diverse in their preferences but when Bobby put his foot down about all the requests, they meekly agreed that the cook picked the menu. Bobby, Nina and, strangely enough, Kevin took over the kitchen and made sure the meals were well-balanced and delicious. Now, Bobby was making pancakes with eggs and bacon. Since Kevin and Samael were vegetarians, he also included a fruit platter and oatmeal which Sam would also eat. It was Nina's suggestion that the food was served buffet style so it wouldn't be a burden setting the table. After he was finished, Bobby got ready to ring the dinner bell when he turned around to find a slightly crispy and rumpled Crowley.

"Where are my brothers?" Crowley rasped out. "We have a very big problem."

Before Bobby could say anything, Chamuel stood next to his brother. "What happened?" he asked.

"Bloody Lucifer is making his moves. Sent a few of the Fallen after me last night and I barely got out of there intact," Crowley said then he moaned when pain pulsed through him. Chamuel took his arm gently and led him to the couch while Bobby went to retrieve the first aid kit and Gabriel. When Bobby got back to the living room he heard Crowley say "…had a demon that I trusted listen in on Lucifer's conference. It seems that our brother has decided to back up three of the Horsemen and he really wants Bobby, Samael and reapers so he can bind Death again. That's all the demon could get back to me before Adam found him and tore him apart. It doesn't take a genius to figure out we are all targeted by our dear brother, especially Sam and Dean."

"Adam? What about him?" Bobby asked as he entered the room.

"Adam didn't have the protection of being a Nephilim when he was in the Cage. He's now a demon high in Lucifer's favor, sort of a pet," Crowley said tiredly. "But I doubt our dear brother used torture to change Adam into one. I think it was probably done by persuasion."

"What do you mean persuasion?" Bobby wondered.

"There are actually two ways a person can be changed into a demon. One is torture while in Hell, on the rack. The other usually starts when a person is alive, persuasion. Where my job is to test and tempt humans, there are some who take the temptation part further. They would put the knife in the person's hand, as it were, while I would just point out the knife's existence. With Adam, it must not have taken much. Lucifer would have worked on Adam's feelings of anger and need for revenge then he would have pointed Adam straight to Sam, maybe saying that Sam was the reason they were all in the Cage and why Adam wasn't with his mother in Heaven like Michael promised.

"When Dean and John were in Hell, Alastair and Zachariah's minions had used both torture and persuasion. John was able to resist the persuasion since I believe they used Sam for that but since Zachariah did his job a bit too well, the persuasion didn't work. With Dean, it did and that's why he was the one to break the first seal," Crowley said. "When Azazel worked on turning Nina and her brother, he used persuasion. It's very easy to persuade children especially those who are living in uncertain times. Her age was part of the reason she could be easily forgiven since she had been a child when Azazel came into her life."

"Does the type of demon depend on how a person becomes one?" Bobby was very curious about the workings of Hell.

"Most black eyed demons were turned on the rack," Crowley explained. "They generally are the weaker demon, sort of low level. The ones turned by persuasion become the red eyed demons. Mid-management, if you will. In fact, you can tell the ranking of demons just by their eye color. Purple eye color is the next step up, then there is orange, yellow, white, and electric blue. If the demon has purple eyes on up, then it is more than a 99.99 percent chance he is a Fallen."

Bobby thought about it then said carefully, "Lilith had white eyes from what Sam said."

"Lilith was a Fallen, if that's what you're asking. Ruby had been working for Lilith for as long as I can remember. In fact, she was one of the oldest demons but she never had much power, except in persuasion and temptation. No human male could resist her once she set her sights on him. Sam never stood a chance, especially since she worked to enhance the stress he was under making him more vulnerable to her," Crowley answered. He was also grateful to be able to answer Bobby's unspoken question.

One thing that had bothered Bobby and Dean was that Sam had chosen Ruby over his brother. Now, Bobby was being told, that Ruby had seduced Sam and the kid never had a chance. Then, reading Bobby's mind, Crowley told the rest, "Did you know that all it takes is one drop of a certain drug to make a person more susceptible, more open to the influences of demonic blood? Maybe just a drop in, say, a cup of coffee the first morning after finding said person drunk as a skunk and trying to get himself killed. Like I said, Sam never stood a chance. Lucky for us that the only demon that could make the drug is dead, isn't it?" Then Crowley got up to go to the bathroom so he could clean up. Even though he could have snapped himself clean, he preferred to feel running water over his skin. It was a luxury as far as he was concerned.

Bobby was shocked to find out how Sam had been drugged to accept Ruby's blood. When he and Dean talked about why Sam had gone with Ruby and got hooked on demon blood but they never thought that she had actually drugged the boy. Bobby felt ashamed of his assessment that Sam had been weak because he was in mourning for his brother. How Bobby was going to make it up to the boy was beyond him but he would try. The first step to take, he knew, was to apologize to Sam and Dean both. He just prayed they would forgive him.

Shaking his head to clear it, Bobby stood at the bottom of the stairs and yelled that breakfast was done and waiting. Hearing the clatter of footsteps on the floor above, he grinned. He loved hearing the house full of family, with all of the arguments, laughter, and tears, his house finally, after all the time since Karen died, felt like a home. Bobby went back into the kitchen and grabbed a plate-full of food for himself then settled at the table.

Nina and Kevin were the first down for breakfast. Nina, after giving Kevin a kiss, had him sit down while she went to get them something to eat. She brought their plates over and sat next to the Prophet. Bobby rolled his eyes at the loving peeks they gave each other. He wished Kevin would just ask Nina to marry him already since everyone could see they really loved each other. Kevin kept blushing anytime it was hinted to him. Nina would just laugh and say that it would happen in it's own time.

Samael and Chamuel were the next down for breakfast. While they were serving themselves, Zadkiel and Jophiel popped in behind them and joined their brothers. Crowley came back from his shower and also grabbed some of Bobby's excellent cooking. Cas and Gabriel showed up with smiles on their faces big enough to light up a room. They could hardly wait to see their siblings' faces when Michael came down.

Everyone was eating and having a good time when the soulmates and Michael joined them. The silence that fell in the room was almost deafening then there was a flash of wings as the siblings went to greet their lost brother. It had hurt the family when Michael was in the Cage but now, with him out, all the others could feel was immense joy and wonder. It took a long time for everyone to finally settle down and let the others get their meal.

"Michael, when did you get here?" Zadkiel asked.

"Yesterday. I had been attacked by some demons who tried to use me as bait for Sam but he was smart and sicced the Celestial Hounds on them to get me out of there. Thing is I was on my way here to talk to Sam and the demons were already surrounding the Yard. What is going on?" Michael asked concerned.

It took a few hours to fill Michael in on what had been happening. Dean went first, talking about how he had misread Sam after he got out of the Cage, how Sam had actually been growing a new soul when Dean took him for being soulless. He also talked about Death's wall and that it had been actually detrimental to Sam's wellbeing since the new soul couldn't heal the tortured one. He told about Sam's insanity after Cas tore the wall down (Cas turned red then looked at the floor, ashamed of himself for hurting his own child, Sam just patted the Angel's shoulder in comfort and forgiveness). Then he talked about sending Dick Roman back to Purgatory and hitching a ride along with the leviathan and Cas. Dean mentioned meeting Asmodeus before Cas rescued him and brought him to the crack in the door.

Gabriel picked up the narrative and told his big brother about his talk with Asmodeus. He said that he didn't go after the Nephilim but chose to help Dean and Cas. He refused to feel bad about his decision. He also talked about Sam. Gabriel was not above scolding his big brother about what he had caused to happen to the Winchester Family. In fact, Gabriel wasn't above trying to kick his ass, if Crowley hadn't stopped him. Michael just hung his head and accepted that Gabriel was right. Then he apologized to everyone, especially Sam and Dean.

"I wish I could say that I didn't know what I was doing or caused to have done but I can't. I committed Lucifer's sin and had too much pride in the fact Father chose me to be his champion. It took Sam, Dean, Cas, Bobby, Crowley and Gabriel to make me even look at myself and see that I could have been wrong. But it was Sam and his soul that convinced me and I have been asking for forgiveness ever since. Sam," Michael turned to the young hunter, "could you ever forgive me for everything I put you through?"

"I remember," Sam whispered, "when you tried to hide me within yourself. Lucifer had Adam hold you down while he tore you apart looking for me. Then they made you listen as they put me back on that rack. You kept doing that, even though you knew what they would do to you. Michael, I forgave you a very long time ago. If you need to hear it, I forgive you for everything that you did."

Michael's knees were weak as he heard the words. He knew his Father forgave him and Dean told him that Sam did, but to really hear it almost shattered him. When Sam gave him a hug, he did shatter and crystal tears fell from his eyes. Dean also gave him a hug, murmuring his thanks for his brother/lover and his own forgiveness to Michael. It took the Archangel a very long time before his tears stopped.

After Michael pulled himself together, Cas and Crowley began their story of how the Leviathans were let loose and Cas, not knowing who Sam really was, tore down the wall to Sam's Hell memories. What upset Michael the most was the fact it was Raphael who drove Cas to even consider such an action. Michael felt proud of his baby brother when Cas explained how he shifted the Lucifer link from Sam to himself, thus saving his child's life.

The Crowley interrupted the history lesson, "We have a big problem, brother. Lucifer is making his moves now. He's after Bobby, the reapers and Samael. He was hoping to bind Death to him but since Father changed the combination on that lock, Lucifer wants to use Death's links to lure him. He also is using the Fallen to back up the Horsemen since Samael had dumped their rings in Gehenna. I'm afraid the next targets will be Sam, Dean and Kevin. Kevin because he is a Prophet, Sam and Dean are the vessels. From everything I've heard, I think Lucifer will try using Adam to get to our boys."

"We need to get Adam away from Lucifer," Sam said, surprising everyone in the room. "He didn't deserve what happened to him and I want to give him another chance at happy."

"Baby, I understand why you want to do this but how do we get our brother from Lucifer?" Dean asked patiently.

"I can do it," Nina said decisively. "Everyone here has a unique scent of Heaven, even Crowley. I don't since I'm human nor do I have the sulfur scent of Hell. I can sneak up on Adam and put a bag over his head that has binding sigils on it."

"You'll need bait of some sort," Gabriel said thoughtfully. Dean became uneasy when he saw the glint in Sam's eyes. He knew that whatever Sam had in mind, Dean wouldn't like it at all.

He was right. "I'll be bait," Sam said glancing over at his mate, willing him to understand. "Adam will come after me like a Hellhound, he won't be able to resist. After all those years in the Cage, he became addicted to torturing me. If we can find where he is, I can get him to chase me into a trap where Nina can put the hood on him."

"Sammy, please…" Dean's voice cracked with horror at his lover's proposal. Sam gave Dean a sweet kiss.

"Dean, it has to be me. Adam doesn't remember you or Bobby. If Michael acts as bait, it will just bring the Fallen to him like a magnet. I'll be careful, I promise," Sam said. Dean didn't like it but he understood what Sam had said. Dean hugged his brother fiercely and he didn't want to let him go.

Michael nodded his approval then turned to Kevin, "We need you to look on the tablets Father sent you. There may be a weapon we can use to get rid of Lucifer and the rest of the Fallen for good. Bobby, Samael, you two need to stay in the Yard. This is the most secure place on Earth except by Father's side. Zadkiel, will Father let them go to Him?"

"Father wants them here. He said they have a role to play in this war," was the answer. Michael nodded, he had already known the answer but he had to ask.

"Zadkiel, if Father doesn't need you, Chamuel, or Jophiel, we could really use your help to keep everyone here safe," Michael requested.

Zadkiel was quiet for a moment then he said, "Father will grant your request. We will stay here and protect these charges." Michael breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "He has also passed our information on to Death about the reapers. Father will be assigning some of the Powers to protect them as they do their duties. We can't interfere with the Natural Process but we can try to provide protection. He is also sending a few Cherubim to protect the Yard. There will be four and they will have flaming swords."

"Thank you Father," Michael prayed. Then he said, "There will be widespread disasters and, knowing my brother, many humans will be 'encouraged' to act out their darkest thoughts and fantasies. Every human has them and most can control them but Lucifer will want to bring them out in the open. It will be like a child breaking toys his parents gave him just because he is angry at them for some reason."

A new voice sounded in the room, "We need to protect the prophets. Lucifer will go after them to cut the lines of communication between Father and the rest of the world," Metatron said as he stood next to Kevin holding a tablet in his hands. "Kevin, I believe this is the tablet you need for the weapon Michael asked about." He gave the tablet to Kevin then, nodding at everyone, he disappeared.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Adam was hungry but there were no demons around to eat. He rooted around the house Lucifer had gotten for them but there was nothing that appealed to the demon/pet. Then, he stopped his search and sniffed the air. Something familiar and delicious was close by and Adam licked his lips. He hadn't smelled that scent in far too long. Without a thought to what his master would say or do, Adam burst through the door and went out of the protected house. Sniffing around, he found that the scent was stronger in a wooded area so he crouched low to the ground and began to hunt.

Adam followed the tantalizing scent that led him further and further away from his sanctuary. Every so often, he stopped at a leaf or tree to sniff. Once he spotted a rock that had blood on it, the blood of his prey. He didn't stop to think that it could be a trap, after all he _was_ Lucifer's favorite and nobody would dare to hurt him. He was so intent on tracking the scent that he didn't realize how far he had gone. He was thirty miles from his sanctuary when the scent led him to an abandoned barn. His prey was in the building but Adam became more cautious. Creeping slowly and close to the ground, he went up to the building. Trying to look in, he found that all openings had been covered or shut except for one small door in the back of the barn. Smiling and drooling, Adam knew that his prey was trapped inside and, throwing caution to the wind, he entered the building.

Staying in the shadows and keeping by the wall, Adam slowly walked around the barn, looking for his prey. Then he spotted it, in the center of the barn, stupid prey. Salivating, Adam dropped to the floor and crawled closer, wanting to get as close as possible before he pounced and sank his teeth into the prey's throat. Closer and closer he got before he ran into an invisible wall. Snarling, he stood up while his prey turned around.

"Hello Adam," Sam said.

"Sammy! How delicious you look! Why don't you step over here and we can hug like the brothers we are?" Adam said with a glint in his eyes.

"I'll take a raincheck if you don't mind," Sam replied with a small smile.

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy, I never pegged you as a coward," Adam sniggered. "I remember you as someone who loved me playing with you for hours on end. How you sang for me while under my knife or me. Do you remember all the fun we had? The games we played…AHHH!" Adam screamed as a hood was placed over his head. He struggled but Nina held on tightly as Sam joined her behind Adam to put on blessed handcuffs. Adam went crazy then, bucking the two of them off. Nina and Sam backed out of the trap. They watched as Adam writhed on the floor.

"How long before the spell works?" Sam asked.

"The sigils should work fairly soon but what do you plan to do now?" Nina wondered.

"I have somewhere to take him then we'll talk," Sam said.

"Sam, I remember being a demon and talking just isn't the way to get through to them. You need to do something that will get his attention and keep it."

"What do you suggest?"

"Remind him of his humanity. Give him something to hold on to. He may not take as long as I did but he will remember, I promise you that," Nina suggested. Sam nodded then, noticing that the sigils had worked and Adam was unconscious, he took her hand. Stepping into the trap and touching Adam, Sam transported them to the Yard's edge. He let Nina go then watched as she crossed the border then, taking hold of Adam once more, he transported him to the place he had picked out...the Milligan House.

At Sam's request, Michael had put the house back as it had been before Adam and his mother were killed, complete with pictures of the two of them. Dean was there also, waiting for his brothers to arrive, his tools at the ready. When Sam and Adam appeared in the dining room, Dean quickly took Adam and tied him on the table which had a devil's trap drawn around it. Michael unbuttoned Adam's shirt and drew sigils on his chest to keep him there and to keep Lucifer from finding him. A few of the sigils were to open Adam's memories of being human. When they were done with their preparations, Sam removed the hood while Michael and Dean moved to the next room. It was too far away from his mate so far as Dean was concerned but Michael assured him that if Sam needed them, they could be there in a blink of an eye.

When Adam finally came to, Sam was there, just out of eyesight. Sam watched as his brother looked around then he stepped up to where Adam could see him. "Hi, Adam. How are you doing?" Sam asked.

"How the hell to do think I'm doing, Sammy?" Adam snarled. He pulled his arms, testing the bonds then said with a grin, "Aw, you didn't have to tie me up brother. You know I'll have sex with you anytime, anywhere and any way. You do remember, don't you? I loved the way you sang so loudly, especially when we played with my favorite toys. You were so loud, you even rivaled Lucifer's true voice and I loved it."

"I remember Adam," Sam said quietly. "I forgive you, little brother."

"I don't want your forgiveness, _brother_," Adam spat. "You should be asking me for mine."

"Adam, do you remember living here with your mom? How she would sing lullabies to you? How she would fuss over you when you were sick?" Sam asked.

"I don't remember that bitch or the bastard who was the sperm donor!" Adam said forcefully.

"Your mom, the person you said yes for so you could see her in Heaven. She was everything to you. There is a saying that mother is the name of God on the lips of children. I was envious when I heard that you lived with your mom where mine died when I was six months old," Sam said.

"Oh, yeah, the crispy bitch on the ceiling. Poor little Sammy whose mommy died when he was a baby. Boo hoo, tough shit. I remember watching your face as we tore your tongue out of your head. The look of pain was delicious…so was your tongue when I ate it," Adam countered.

"I forgive you for that. I will always forgive you, little brother," Sam said. "Your mom was so happy and proud of you when you got into college, wasn't she? She didn't tell you that either you stayed with her or you don't come back. She would celebrate you coming home on your breaks by cooking you a nice meal and tucking you in at night, giving you a kiss and maybe singing your favorite song,"

Adam sneered and said, "All your smarts and the only thing I liked about you was your voice, especially when we tore your intestines out and made chitlins out of them!"

"I forgive you," replied Sam.

This went on for hours, Sam tried to bring forth some of Adam's memories of his human life while Adam would remind him what happened in the Cage. Each time, Adam brought up the memories, Sam would forgive him. Finally, Sam was exhausted and had to take a break. He went into the room where Michael and Dean waited for him. He found Dean in tears while Michael held him in comfort. No matter what Sam had said, had told him about what happened, it was different to hear the words come out of one of his brother's torturers. It felt like Alastair all over again when Uriel and Cas had him torture the demon. Dean couldn't understand how his brother could stand the memories and slowly, he realized just how strong his brother was. Dean broke from Michael and latched onto his mate, crying all the while. Michael watched them then went to Adam to start once again.

It took days before Adam finally broke. Like Nina had told Sam, all he had to do was to connect with his humanity like she did. When it happened, it was like a dam breaking. It wasn't the memories of his living mother that finally got to Adam but the memories of his mother being dead. Dean knew that pictures were the best things to remind a person of what they had lost and he tried to use a photo album that Adam's mom had kept. But it was the pictures, the memories in Dean's mind that was the key to bringing Adam back.

It started typically with Adam telling Dean how good Sam was when he writhed under Adam and Lucifer both. How Sam would come screaming Dean's name and how Lucifer used that knowledge the next time they raped him. Dean lost it and showed Adam why he was Alastair's favorite pupil. One of the things Alastair had taught Dean was how to project memories that were hurtful or could be damaging. Dean didn't use any of Adam's memories but projected his own, showing Adam how he had found Kate, what kind of mess the ghouls had made of her. Adam stuttered then, and Dean added her screams as the ghouls ate her alive. Tears started to gather in Adam's eyes then. Dean went on to show Adam how he was found and what he looked like. Dean showed Adam the ghouls using his and his mother's forms to tie up and hurt Sam. Then he showed Adam that, in spite of not knowing their brother, how he and Sam gave Adam a hunter's funeral, staying until the flames died. Adam saw the tears in the brothers' eyes as they said goodbye to the brother they never knew. It was then that Adam finally broke and connected with his humanity.

As Michael finally untied Adam and held the sobbing young man, Sam came into the room to hold his mate. Dean cried out his pain of going back to being a torturer while Sam just held his mate. "It's okay, Dean. I know you didn't want to do that but what you did helped Adam reconnect. Shh, baby, I love you…nothing can stop me from loving you," Sam cooed in Dean's ear.

"I'm going to take Adam to Father," Michael whispered. "You two need to go back to the Yard." With that, Michael disappeared with a distraught Adam. Sam gathered Dean up into his arms and disappeared, going to their bedroom in the Yard. They stayed in the bedroom for hours, making love and healing each other.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Kevin finished translating the latest tablet and wished he hadn't. What it talked about was a prophecy and a weapon that could kill Lucifer. The weapon wasn't what worried Kevin…it was the prophecy itself. He got up and poured himself a shot of whiskey, something he never had done before but what he had read unnerved him so badly that he needed something to help him calm down. After coughing down the unfamiliar burn, he called Gabriel and asked the Archangel to gather everyone in the living room. Gabriel nodded somberly then left.

For the next ten minutes, the others gathered to hear what Kevin had found. When he finally entered the room, his eyes automatically went to the soulmates. His heart broke for them and he remembered how devastated Dean had been after they had saved Adam. Now, what he had to say may very well shatter the older brother.

Kevin cleared his throat, desperate for a break then he plunged ahead, "First, about the weapon. It is an Angelic sword but made especially for just this job. We will need three components of blood, water and oil. The blood, according to the texts is from five different people."

"Sort of like the Leviathan weapon?" Dean asked.

"Yeah but you won't need the blood of a Fallen, a First or the King of Hell," Kevin gave a small smile to Crowley. Then he went on, "You will need the blood of the First Father of the Bloodline, The Forgiven Son, The Firstborn Son, and The True Soulmates. That means Cas, Michael, Sam and Dean will have to contribute but I don't know who the Firstborn Son is or where to find him."

"Um…I may be able to help you with that," Zadkiel said. "Castiel wasn't the only one who Father changed at one point." Zadkiel looked at Gabriel for help.

"I was the Voice who told Mary that she would bear the Son of God," Gabriel said. "I can find Him and get some blood for the sword." He glossed over what Zadkiel said since their Father wanted to keep some things quiet. "He will agree. I know the guy and He's really a terrific sort." Gabriel grinned at his brothers. "Father keeps Him very close so He is easy to find."

Zadkiel grinned in relief. It would have been very hard to reveal how much of Father was actually in him. Only Gabriel and Chamuel had been in on that knowledge since, like Gabriel said, he was the Voice of God and Chamuel was in the same kind of position. They were part of the original Triune and that knowledge wouldn't go over very well with their siblings, they knew.

Then Kevin started again, "There was also a prophecy that went with the usage of the weapon. Not just anyone can use it." Kevin stopped, tears started to well in his eyes as he tried to get the words out. Now, he realized what it really meant to be a Prophet of God. It hurt, badly, especially when you had to tell someone you cared about that they were to die.

Sam could tell something was up with Kevin. He could see it was something very hard for the Prophet to say so he said, "Kevin, man, just say it. We'll deal with whatever it is, okay?"

Kevin took a deep breath and plunged ahead, "The prophecy talks about a Triune, three beings in one vessel. It says 'Evil will be defeated when a Triune is formed. The youngest, most pure of souls to join with the Warrior and the Star. The Warrior holds the Star while the Youngest cleaves the heart, killing Evil forever.'"

"NOOOO!" came Dean's shout as he realized what Kevin had just told them. "Nooo! Sammy, Oh, God! I can't lose you again, please no!" Sam held his brother/lover/mate as Dean cried out his anguish. Cas went to them and wrapped his wings around the brothers then flew off with them as the rest of the group was stunned.

Gabriel was sitting at the kitchen table alone when Cas came back hours later. He brought three vials of blood and put them on the table in front of his brother. "You will need to give Dean some time," Cas said. "He can't handle the fact his brother will die again and he's taking it badly." Gabriel nodded and Cas went on, "I've reminded him that their bond will not allow for them to be separated again but that didn't help the situation. He won't let Sam go, no matter what I say. Gabriel, I don't know how to make this any better. I don't want my children to suffer again."

Gabriel sighed and said, "I don't know either. The prophecy is specific about who needs to be part of the Triune. Sam _is_ part of it and there is no way around it."

"When they die, will Michael and Sam be in Limbo or somewhere else?" Cas asked.

"I don't know, honestly. Lucifer will not be coming back but the others? Cas, all I can say is ask Dad. He'll know if you really need that information but what you need to know is where ever Sam is, Dean will be there with him. They will never be parted again. When Sam's heart stops beating, Dean's will also stop," Gabriel explained. Cas nodded then went back to his children. It wasn't much of a consolation but it was something he could give the brothers.

After Cas left, Chamuel appeared in the room, "Why didn't you tell Castiel?"

Gabriel looked up at his brother and replied, "Dad didn't want me to. He said that it was to be a surprise. I know Dad has His reasons but I wish I knew the reason behind this."

Chamuel put his arms around Gabriel, comforting his brother for the rest of the night.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Now, every day the news showed that Lucifer and the three Horsemen were on the move, rapidly spreading their influences across the globe. War loved being in the Middle East and was engaged in creating tension between Israel and her neighbors. Missiles had already fallen in Haifa and Bethlehem. Israel retaliated by sending their own missiles into Syria while Iran threatened to launch their nuclear bombs if Israel kept up her bombing missions.

Pestilence had changed the proteins of many of the diseases that had been curable if caught in time making them incurable. He also made some of the diseases more virulent and deadly. Ebola, the Plague and Hemorrhagic Fever now killed within hours of the patient contracting one of the diseases. The chances that a person contracted them from a diseased person was now one hundred percent. Then Pestilence changed bird flu so that it was just as deadly as Ebola. There were no survivors of these diseases no matter what the CDC or WHO tried.

Famine became insidious as he wheeled himself among the poor of the world, causing riots. The poor became rabid about not having enough to eat, a job or even warm clothes so they started to kill anyone who were part of the "haves" and not the "have nots". Many of the upper class and upper middle class bought guns and hired security guards only to have their servants and guard slit their throats as they slept. For the first time in many millenniums, Famine felt well-fed.

The world was in chaos and the all of the choirs fought against Lucifer and his armies but the Angelic Host knew that the hope of the world lay in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where a weapon of immense power was being forged and two soulmates were the keys to the whole thing. They prayed to their Father that deliverance would come soon.

Dean wouldn't let Sam out of his sight. Not even when Sam was practicing sword play with Michael. His fear of losing his mate was so bad that if Sam even went out of the room, he would start to have a panic attack. Now, he could relate to what Sam felt when he had sold his soul for his brother. He knew the kind of pain and fear his baby brother went through. He felt he had been selfish during that year since he really hadn't seen what it had done to Sam until he went through it himself. He tried to apologize to Sam but his mate just held him and said that it was okay to be scared. Sam forgave Dean, even if there was nothing to forgive.

Jophiel was the one who gave Dean a distraction by telling him that he needed to train also. "Asmodeus also needs to be taken care of, Dean. The only way to do that is with an Angelic sword but it will be dangerous for you since he had years of practice with his powers. You are potentially more powerful than he is but he has more skill as of right now. I can help you but you need to throw your entire concentration into it. Will you do that?"

Grateful for the Archangel's suggestion since it would take his mind off his brother's fate, Dean agreed. Jophiel was a masterful teacher and Dean had learned very fast to be deadly to Asmodeus. Cas also helped in his training, since he had fought against Nephilim before he was able to teach Dean a few tricks that may be useful in defeating the self-proclaimed Nephilim Prince.

Balthazar, being the new Weapons Keeper of Heaven, was forging the weapon on the grounds. As predicted by Gabriel, Cas had an extremely hard time getting his brother and friend to accept his apologies for killing him. It was only after watching Sam and Michael joking around that Balthazar was able to forgive Cas. He said that if Sam could forgive someone who had tortured him for years, then he could forgive his brother for killing him at a time when Cas had been under extreme stress. At first, Balthazar kept his brother at arm's length but his good nature got the better of him and the others noticed that he started to be around Cas more often.

Bobby watched as the Angels showed their more playful side. He shook his head wondering how, when the world was in turmoil, the Angels could play and joke. Every Angelic death brought a pain to their hearts and yet, Gabriel played jokes on Michael who would retaliate. Balthazar had made a pepper bomb that went off when Cas was near it, causing Cas to sneeze for hours afterwards. Even Samael played jokes and was known to giggle. When Bobby asked Crowley about it, after catching the Angel setting a trap for a brother, Crowley shrugged and said that Angels were actually full of joy, no matter what was going on. It wasn't until Lucifer's Fall that they lost much of their joy, he said. Crowley went on to explain that every trick pulled was an exercise to hone their skills. Each time a trick was successful, it meant that if the Angel who played the trick had been on the battlefield, then he would have been the victor in battle. Gabriel's stint as a trickster actually was an extension of who the Archangel really was, Crowley said with a smirk. Bobby just groaned remembering the tricks Gabriel pulled on his boys.

The tricks and jokes, it was explained, showed initiative and imagination. They were skills needed when in battle where plans could go wrong. Bobby understood that since many hunts had gone bad because the hunter wouldn't or couldn't think outside the box. John was one of those hunters who had a very hard time improvising while Sam was masterful at it, saving his brother and father many times over.

Kevin and Nina decided to get married. Zadkiel and Chamuel officiated at the ceremony and told them that God had blessed their union. When Bobby asked why the couple didn't wait, Nina explained that it was their way of giving hope to the others. Kevin said also they wanted to show their faith in everyone. Bobby felt humbled by their gift. He told them that, if they wanted to, they could live in the Yard for the rest of their lives. He also gave them his and Karen's wedding rings to exchange saying that the rings were a symbol of love between husband and wife. Nina grinned then gave him a kiss while Kevin watched. At the same time, Michael had presented Sam and Dean with rings made of the same metal as the Angelic blades saying that they were symbols of the mates' commitment to each other. Their union had also been blessed by God.

Finally, the sword was done having been forged in blood, tempered in Holy Fire that had been started using Holy Oil and cooled in Holy Water. Balthazar gave the sword to Sam who practiced with it to get used to the feel of it. Seeing the sword in his brother's hand, Dean's anxiety grew. He grabbed every chance he had to be alone with his mate, worried that the very next day could be the last one he would have with Sam.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

End game. Two words that made Bobby and Dean cringe because they knew that whatever happened now would change everything. Sam and Dean ramped up their training so much that they were now deadly to all Angels. After training, Sam would talk to Balthazar and Michael about strategies, something that John never let his youngest do since he believed that Sam would actually jeopardize any hunt they were on. Michael found John's ideas laughable since Sam had a keen military mind when it came to strategies that kept everyone as safe as possible. When Dean started to sit in on the planning session, it was easy to see how the two complimented each other. Very little escaped the two of them when it came to possible dangers. Then Bobby joined in and the Angels finally understood what made this tiny group of humans so frustrating to the Supernatural World. Together they made the perfect team, working seamlessly to complete their mission. Even when they argued, they did it with the thoughts of others in their minds. With Michael and Balthazar, they came up with the best strategy they could.

Michael said the final battle would still take place at Stull Cemetery. When asked why Stull, Michael told Sam, Dean and Bobby that Stull was the site of the very first murder. It also was where Cain buried Abel and the site of the first vengeful ghost. When they looked at Michael with a "huh" look, he said that when his Father looked for Abel after he had been killed, Abel's blood called out to Him. It was only after God punished Cain that Abel was able to rest (no pun intended, Michael said with a grin while the others just groaned). Then he got very serious. He said that this time, Lucifer would stand with his armies who would attack anyone trying to stop the fight. That meant the Heavenly Host would have to attack from the rear and flanks, while Lucifer was occupied with Michael and Sam. Dean needed to go after Asmodeus after the Triune was formed since the Nephilim was Lucifer's second in command at this time and he would take action to protect the Morning Star.

The Horsemen was to be taken out by Death, the group was informed by Bobby. "He said that only he could stop them and make sure they wouldn't join the fight. Death wants me, Samael and the reapers by his side. We are actually part of him and together, we are more powerful than the rest of the Horsemen. Samael and I will also be going after Abaddon when he shows, and he will since Death's call will also include him. Samael and I worked it out pretty well but there is always a chance this will go pear shaped."

Sam spoke up and said, "You can almost count on Hellhounds being at the party. We'll need the Celestial Hounds going after them so they won't interfere or drag anyone to Hell. Adam also told us that Lucifer may have humans fighting on his side, the ones he had corrupted so we'll have to be on the lookout for guys with guns…especially if they are hunters. Cops and military could also have been penetrated."

Michael was sad for what he had to say since he had come to value humans, "They will have to be collateral damage if they do end up in the battle. If they are under the influence of Lucifer, they will be a danger to all of us. I wouldn't doubt our brother taught them a few tricks or even armed them with Angelic blades. If we can, we'll get them out of the battle area unharmed but if we can't then unfortunately the reapers will be busy." The others looked miserable at the thought of having innocents die but, like Michael said, there might not be any choice.

"How do we lure Lucifer to Stull?" Dean wanted to know.

"Sam will need to go there and call my brother to him. Since Sam had already said yes once to Lucifer, my brother will not need his permission again. I will, though, since I never had it before," Michael said. "I will need to be at Stull with you so when Lucifer starts to take possession, Sam can say yes to me and I'll be able to enter also. The knowledge of the sword will need to be repressed in Sam's memory until I am 'in residence' so Lucifer won't know of it's existence and use it against us. Dean, you will need to be rendered invisible and undetectable to Fallen, demons, and Nephilim so you can approach Asmodeus without being noticed. Try to surprise him. If you have to stab him in the back, do it. Remember, this is war and survival so any way you can achieve your goal do it.

"All the spheres, the choirs will be there since this is an all-out war. The Fallen have their own armies and, believe me, they will use them. I had trained most of the Fallen at one point so I know their basic tricks but it is a good bet that they have learned more on their own. The one advantage we have with them is that their powers have diminished over time but they have numbers on their side which evens everything out."

Sam studied the map of Stull, thinking of the best way to deploy their people. The Dominions, Grigori, and Powers needed to go after the Fallen. If the battle took place after the sun rose, the best placement for the Home Team would be from the East, causing the sun to be in the eyes of the Fallen. It also made sense that Lucifer would bring his armies from that direction since he was the Morning Star.

"If the Home Team waited outside the Eastern boundary of Stull, then they could flank the enemy and not worry about the sun in their eyes. Angels wouldn't be bothered by the sun but it had the potential of blinding demons," Sam said. "Dean and I will be in the cemetery where you two fought before. There is a large maple tree close to the area that, if we put up a sigil, could hide your presence, Michael. We have to word the invitation to Lucifer so he would bring Asmodeus with him. Dean, when you engage Asmodeus, try to keep him in my sight. When you make the killing blow, I'll do mine. This way, I won't die before you. We can't let Asmodeus live and this is the only way to do it." Dean nodded, he didn't like it but he understood. Sam then went on, "Chamuel, Zadkiel and Jophiel will be here keeping guard on the Prophets and Nina. Crowley will need to deploy the Celestial Hounds when the Hellhounds are heard. His army should also back up the rest of the choirs."

Dean watched his mate in awe. In their personal lives, Dean was the dominate personality with Sam letting him pick and choose throughout their day but now, Dean saw his brother come into his own. Here was the man that Azazel wanted to lead the armies of Hell against humanity, the man who Lucifer needed to win the war against Heaven, the man who turned his back on destiny to save a planet and his brother. Sam was a force to be reckoned with, the reason why many Angels feared and hated him at the beginning. Now, despite the treachery of those Angels and many demons, Sam fought on Heaven's side putting his intellect to work for the good of the planet once again. And, as everyone knew, Sam would sacrifice his life for them once again. Tears came to Dean's eyes as he thought of the baby he carried out of the burning house, the little brother he raised to adulthood, the man he held in his arms crying about his girlfriend dying, the brother who tread on thin ice just to get Dean deal with his feelings after their father died. This man had gone through so much and yet, his faith in Dean and God never wavered. It was humbling, watching Sam plan how his death would take place and all Dean wanted to do was to take his baby brother and hide him until all the bad things went away.

Taking a deep breath, Dean asked the question he really didn't want to know, "When will this all go down?"

"The sooner the better," Michael said sympathetically. "I can give you a day before we need to be at Stull. I'm sorry I can't give you any more time, Dean."

Dean just nodded, grateful for anytime left with Sam. He then put his hand on Sam's shoulder. When his brother looked at him, Dean gestured at the stairs. Smiling softly, Sam put his hand in Dean's and the two of them left the room. For the rest of that day and all of the next, Sam and Dean stayed in their room reaffirming their love many times. Cas and Bobby made sure they ate and rested but, for the most part, the mates stayed by themselves. During this time, Michael sent word of the strategies and the time for the final battle.

When it was time to go, Sam and Dean walked down the stairs ready for battle. Sam wore his locket and ring while Dean wore the Amulet and his ring. Both men were in black with knives sheathed on their belts and guns loaded in their holsters. Balthazar came up to them, holding the sword. He buckled it on Sam's belt then put two fingers to the hunter's forehead. When he took his fingers back, Sam had forgotten about the sword, nor did he see it since it was now invisible.

While Sam was getting his memory altered, Dean turned to Kevin who had come down to say goodbye. Holding out the keys to the Impala, Dean said, "Take good care of her. She's been our home ever since Sammy was six months old and she helped save the world during the last apocalypse. She needs a lot of TLC and I trust you to give it to her."

Kevin took the keys and nodded. "I promise," was all he said.

Sam knelt down by Tabitha. "You will need to go with Crowley and do what he says. I'm going to miss you," Sam stroked her head for the last time then stood up. "We need to go." Dean nodded and, with Cas and Gabriel beside them, the two mates left the Yard.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Stull Cemetery in Lawrence Kansas was a desolate, lonely place that had seen the worst of humanity, Hell and Heaven. Michael cringed as he remembered the reasons of his last visit there. Watching the two Nephilim by him, he felt humbled. Neither Sam nor Dean cringed. They weren't crying or gnashing their teeth over their fate. They were facing it with their heads held high and looking it straight in the eye. Michael remembered doing that himself but with a pride that rivaled his brother's. That was what brought about his own downfall. He was determined to be better this time, working with humans instead of disdaining them.

Giving Sam and Dean one last embrace and making Dean undetectable to all except for Sam, Michael went to the maple tree then, after carving a sigil on the lowest part of the trunk, he hid himself within the tree. Dean held his lover for a long time, giving sweet kisses and relishing the closeness of his mate for the very last time. Finally, Cas appeared by his children and, giving them hugs, he whispered, "It's time, we are in position and ready for you to call to Lucifer. I am so very proud of the two of you, remember that. May Father bless both of you." Then Cas left but not before the boys noticed tears in his eyes.

Hugging one last time and giving each other one last kiss, Dean stepped away from his brother stopping only when he got five feet away. Sam looked at Dean and smiled then he turned away and called out "Lucifer, I'm at Stull. Come get me!"

Lucifer appeared, once again wearing Nick, with Asmodeus by his side. "Ah, Sam, care to dance again? Where's your lovely brother who you used to scream for every day in the Cage? Asmodeus would like to play with him and I promised he could. You know from experience that I keep my promises, don't you?"

"Cousin, our uncle had been regaling me with the stories of your time together. I must say, it sounded very fun. But, I wonder, where is your delicious brother? He really isn't one of us but he is beautiful enough to overlook that particular fault of his. I wonder if he sings as well as uncle says you did?" Asmodeus taunted.

Sam smiled grimly then turned back to Lucifer without even answering Asmodeus. "Is Nick dead?" was all he asked.

Lucifer grinned, "Ah, your famous compassion raises it's head. The answer is yes, he died some time ago."

"Adam is doing well the last I heard," Sam rubbed salt in an open wound that he knew Lucifer had.

"That wasn't nice, Sammy," the Morning Star growled. "He was my favorite pet and you took him away from me. Remind me to punish you later for that. Now, shall we dance?" Lucifer's Grace began to glow as he started to separate from Nick's body.

It was time. Sam turned towards the maple tree and said, "Yes."

"I don't need your permission this time," the Archangel gloated, not seeing Michael behind him. When Asmodeus saw the other Angel, he opened his mouth to warn his Lord. It was his undoing that Dean was close enough to him to stop him from crying out. Asmodeus watched in horror while both Lucifer and Michael entered Sam. He turned on Dean and, with a snarl, backhanded Dean, making the man fly into a tree.

Dean got up and wiped the blood that was dripping from his mouth. He grinned, blood staining his teeth and said, "Hi Cousin. I see that you are just as stupid as usual."

Growling, Asmodeus raised his hand and, again, Dean went flying. Getting up, he brushed himself off. "You throw like a girl," Dean snarked. Asmodeus was even more angry. He drew out his sword and advanced on the human.

Dean took a chance to check on Sam. Sam was still on the ground, the Grace of two Archangels causing him to seize. Dean turned his attention back to the Nephilim and drew his own Angelic sword. He enjoyed seeing Asmodeus' eyes get big with confusion.

"Even though you are armed as a Nephilim, that doesn't mean you are," was the taunt flung at Dean. He just shrugged it off as the two combatants circled each other. "You are not as strong as that beautiful man is. He is even stronger with my Lord using him to walk this world. You are fragile as your Angel is powerless, as your father was spineless. Yes, Lord Lucifer has told me all about your father. How weak minded he was, so soft he believed the Angel whispering in his ear about his youngest son."

Dean knew that Asmodeus was trying to get him to stumble but he kept his head in the game. John had been anything but weak and he had passed that strength onto his sons. Reaching deep within himself, Dean brought out his own strengths and powers then met Asmodeus head on with a clash of swords.

The dance the combatants were engaged in was beautiful, graceful and very deadly. Pass after pass had the swords ringing against each other. Asmodeus trying but not finding an opening while Dean was playing for time. Time enough for Michael to pin Lucifer down, time enough for Sam to recover his ability to move. Then Asmodeus scored first blood as his sword slipped through Dean's defenses and raked down his arm. The only hint Dean gave that he felt the cut was a slight hiss. A few more passes then Dean scored his own hit. The Nephilim took a step back in surprise. It had been a very long time since he had seen his own blood. With a roar, he rushed back into combat, anger coloring his every move. Dean matched Asmodeus' every move, calmly and collected.

After a few minutes, a voice brushed against his mind, _"It's done, Dean. Michael has pinned Lucifer down but he doesn't know for how long. I love you." _The voice disengaged and Dean felt empty for it's loss. He kept fighting, this time he was driving hard for an opening so he could make a killing blow. While the two of them fought, Sam struggled to stand up. Finally, Sam stood up tall and strong.

Asmodeus' attention flagged for just a second while he looked at his Lord. Dean was able to take advantage of that second and he plunged his sword into the Nephilim's stomach. Asmodeus turned back and looked at Dean with an unreadable expression then pulled the sword out. Flinging it away from Dean, he advanced on the human with blood flowing from the ragged wound. Looking one more time into his brother's eyes, Dean felt Asmodeus' sword going through his chest, barely missing his heart. Then Dean drew on a power he didn't even know he had. Putting his hand on the Nephilim, he caused Asmodeus to burn from the inside, like Michael had once done to Anna. Asmodeus looked startled as the pain hit him. Then the Nephilim knew no more as he crumbled to ash at Dean's feet.

Dean couldn't stand anymore and fell to his knees. Sam moved to be close to his brother then he closed his eyes and completed the Triune, crying to the Heavens, "I am Samichafer!" Remembering the Sacred Sword, he took it from the sheath and positioned it above his heart. "Love you, Dean," he whispered as he plunged the sword into his heart. Lucifer screamed as he felt himself die while Michael smiled sadly.

"I forgive you, brother," Michael said before he died. Lucifer screamed one more time then also died. Sam fell beside his brother as the Graces of the two Archangels flared one more time, leaving ash in their wake where two brothers had once lay. Thunder sounded and lightening flashed as if all of Heaven mourned the loss of Michael and the two Winchesters.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

When the Triune died, all the Fallen turned to ash in front of the astonished Host. Bobby and Samael had both struck blows before Abaddon died. They quickly left the battlefield with Death's permission and went to find the boys. When they arrived to where Sam and Dean should have been, they saw Cas, Gabriel, Crowley, Tabitha and the rest kneeling on the ground by two figures in ash. Asmodeus' body had been taken away so it wouldn't sully the resting place of the heroes.

Taking out his horn, Gabriel blew a mournful sound that was heard all over the world. Without knowing why, the entire population cried in sadness and jubilation. One by one, the Heavenly Host disappeared. Then Death and his agents, including Bobby, also left. The last one to leave was Tabitha who howled her sorrow then she, too, left.

_Sam and Dean woke up with Michael by their side. They were warm, happy, and loved. They knew that they were with God, being healed of all their hurts. Sighing, the soulmates and their brother closed their eyes and slept. Adam was given a choice, to keep living or go to see his mother. He chose to be with his mom and Death himself escorted Adam to Heaven._

_Stull Cemetery grew roses where the final battle had taken place. No human would step a foot on the land. A feeling of extreme holiness permeated the area but not one to encourage worshippers, instead it gently discouraged anyone from lingering. _

_Nina and Kevin Tran stayed at the Yard with all their children. The first children they had were twin boys that they named Samuel and Dean. Angels kept watch over the family, just like Mary Winchester had told her children so very long ago._

Thank you very much, 3DBABE1999 for this story idea, all the help you gave me and your wise words. Without you, this story wouldn't have been written.

Yes, the boys are dead, please read the Epilogue to see what happens next! Thank you all for your support! _skye1963_


	7. Chapter 7

"_I saw the tracks of angels in the earth: the beauty of heaven walking by itself on the world." Petrarch_

Epilogue

100 years after the end of the last apocalypse-

Nina Tran smiled. She was finally going to join her husband, Kevin after many years of wedded bliss. God had granted them a very long life together, a reward for their help in the final days of the last apocalypse. When they had reached their ninetieth wedding anniversary, reporters were there to see them celebrate it with their very large family. Kevin had died two years later, in Nina's arms. He smiled and gave her one last kiss, reminding her that he would wait for her in Heaven. Now it was Nina's turn and Samael came to escort her Home personally like he had done for Kevin. He had grown to like the Trans very much and had often visited. Samael took both Trans to the place in Heaven where all their friends and family waited, contrary to the way Heaven had been before. In the early morning, Nina breathed her last breath, smiled, and closed her eyes. She went Home.

Like her husband, she had left very explicit instructions on how to handle her body. Her sons stacked wood behind the house while her daughters prepared her body, wrapping it in linen after anointing it with myrrh. Then, her sons came and placed her body on a plank and brought it to the wood pile. Carefully placing it on the wood, the eldest then sprinkled it with salt and Holy Oil. A priest, Father Chamuel, read the service and blessed Nina on her journey then he lit the pyre. The family stayed until the fire died down and they scattered her ashes over the garden, as she had wished. Nobody had noticed the other attendees at the funeral but that was just as well, they weren't supposed to. All the Angels who had known the Trans came down and gave their blessings to Nina and her family. Nina and Kevin's family would be watched over by Angels. It was the Angels' gift to the two extraordinary humans who had touched their hearts.

Their home and land was put up for sale but nobody would even go near it. Hunters would try to find out why the land was so off-putting but, like Stull Cemetery, there was an aura to the place that was forbidding, almost like it was sacred land. After a while, it was just avoided, and then forgotten.

10 years later-

The realtor, Jessie Morgan, looked up as she heard the rumble of an antique car. As she watched, she saw a black car pull up and park in front of her office. Three men got out of the car and walked to her door. She looked down at her paperwork as the men came into the office.

"Excuse me, miss?" Jessie turned her eyes up to the speaker. He was tall, with light brown hair and green eyes, around his neck hung an Amulet. The man next to him had hazel eyes and was wearing a silver locket.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"Yeah, my friends and I are looking to buy some property here in this fine city of Sioux Falls. We like to be a bit out of the way if you know what I mean," said the man.

"Well, we do have some houses in the city that are for sale," she began.

Then the taller of the men said in a soft voice, "Um, do you have anything on the outskirts or even out of town? We would like to buy some land that doesn't have many neighbors."

Jessie looked at the man and wilted under his puppy dog look. She wasn't going to tell them about the Tran property since nobody wanted it but there was something about these men that told her the place would be a fit. Then she looked at the third man who stared back at her with startling blue eyes and she made up her mind.

"Yes, there is a piece of property out some ways. The lady who owned it, Nina Tran, died ten years ago and we haven't found the right buyers for it. It has a few acres, a house, out buildings and a beautiful rose garden that will need to be tamed again. Would you like to see it?" she asked.

All three nodded and she drove them to the property expecting the same reaction that happened to other potential buyers but this time she noticed that the forbidding aura seemed to have lifted the minute the three men stepped onto the land. The tall man smiled widely while the other two looked around eagerly. Jessie took them around the property, showing them the house which had been there before the Trans had bought the place. As the men entered the house, she noticed how they touched the walls reverently. Then when she showed them the upstairs, the two taller ones both had strange smiles on their faces as they entered one of the bedrooms. There was a feeling about the three she could not put her finger to until they had got back to her office and signed the papers. Giving her a check for the whole amount, they thanked her and left. As she looked at the contracts, she finally figured out the feeling she noticed. It was as if the men were home again.

Stretching, she decided to call it a day. Jessie decided that when she got home, she was going to spend the evening with her husband instead of working like she usually did. The love she saw between the taller two men touched her heart, especially when she saw the glint of silver on their ring fingers and was reminded how much she loved her husband. Tomorrow, she would send the deed out to the three men, it would be soon enough and Jessie felt that the men would understand. As per their request, it would be in all three names: Sam and Dean Winchester, and Castiel Samyaza. She hoped they would find happiness in their new home.

Their first night back in their old room, Sam and Dean made love slowly, making it last for hours. At long last, they were back home. Castiel smiled as he heard the boys. He was joyful that his sons were finally safe and happy. For the first time in many centuries, he too was fulfilled, a father content.

_As part of the Grigori, it was their duty to walk among the humans, helping where ever they could. Cas taught his sons as well as the others who joined. Bobby Singer was now part of the Grigori as were some of the others who had been in Sam and Dean's lives when they were growing up. Most chose to stay in their Heaven but a few decided to join, especially those of Samyaza's bloodline. Jim Murphy, Caleb Reeves, and Rufus Turner all decided to join saying that Heaven was just too quiet a place for them. Others who were originally of the Grigori also decided to rejoin their Prefect and the ranks once again swelled._

_John Winchester, as was requested by his sons, was given the choice but he turned it down. He still felt bad about the way he had treated Sam even if his actions had been forgiven by God and by Sam. He gave the boys his blessing saying that even when they were young, he knew their bond was special. Mary Winchester also turned down the invitation but asked that her sons visit often so she could get to know them. Both Sam and Dean took her up on her offer as much as their duties would allow, especially since she made sure to bake a pie for them._

_Cas, Dean and Sam had many visitors, among them all of the Archangels would make an appearance every so often. Especially Michael who had been with their Father healing from the self-inflicted wound. Because he and Sam had once again sacrificed their lives for the Earth, God had brought them and Dean to Him, healing them of their hurts. Michael had a special love for Sam, and Dean found that he didn't mind so much. After all, because of Michael's actions, there was a bond between them that, like the soulmate bond, was unbreakable. Besides, Sam having another big brother to watch over him wasn't a bad idea and Dean was all for that._

_After his actions in the last apocalypse, Crowley was also given a couple of rewards. One was he now lived with his Father in blessed bliss. The other was God had confirmed his station as King of Hell, making it so he would never be challenged again. _

_Crowley made sure to send Tabitha and her many puppies back to the boys so the property would always be protected. She had been very unhappy about being separated from Sam and made her displeasure felt all the time. Crowley knew that she belonged with the boys like the other Celestial Hounds belonged in Heaven. So he sent the other Celestial Hounds to Heaven where they bonded with the Archangels, Metatron, Joshua and many others of the Celestial Spheres._

_It was a time of learning for the humans and the Grigori were given the task to teach them about free will, love and the Heavenly Father's wishes. They knew, though, some would hear the Word as it was meant to be while others would pervert it to what they wanted it to be. Still others would disregard the Word altogether. After less than nine hundred years, God had told them, another great test would be given to the people of the Earth. This time, though, the Winchesters would not be part of it. They had passed their own test and were forever in God's good Graces. Forever together._

Fin


End file.
